Eight Days
by windchymes
Summary: A lot can happen in eight days...
1. Chapter 1

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **I've had this idea for ages, but haven't written for a long while, so lets see how this goes :)**

It couldn't be him. It couldn't.

I felt the sharp stab of painful recognition as the name stared at me from the computer screen, bold and black against the white...

 ** _Edward Masen_**

No, it couldn't be him. Not here. Not now.

"How's it going, Bella?" Marc came into the office, coffee mug in hand, and it took me a moment to remember where I was, and what I was supposed to be doing.

"Hm? Wha…oh, um, sorry…yes." Flustered, I quickly scrolled down to the next entry in the client database and tried to focus again, bringing myself back to now, pushing away dark memories of a cold forest and even colder goodbyes. "Um, so…so it seems to be working much faster now, and the screen's not freezing anymore. The files are opening fine. I was just going to do a few checks to make sure."

"You serious?" Marc came to look over my shoulder, watching as I moved through the long list of customers on the Thunder Road Motorcycle Co. database. "I'm useless with this sort of thing." He shook his dark head. "So, what was the problem? What had I done?"

"It's what you hadn't done. There were some updates that needed installing, that's all."

"Seriously? That's it?" He set the mug down on the desk. "Coffee's for you. White with one, yeah?" Then he watched as I opened the file for Sharon Young. I tried to ignore the soft tremor of my fingers.

"You'd be surprised what a few updates can do. See?" Ms Young's customer information appeared instantly. "No more little egg timer spinning round and round," I said, clicking on different tabs, watching them pop open.

"Yes!" Marc hissed, his eyes focused keenly on the screen. "I hated that bloody egg timer. This is going to make life so much easier. Thanks, Bella."

"No problem. It's what friends are for, right?" Beneath the desk my leg was bouncing up and down frantically.

Marc straightened up and gave me that easy smile that always made me smile back. Except for this time. "I reckon you should abandon marine biology and go into IT," he said. "I owe you dinner for this."

"Um...you don't have to…"

"Yeah, I do. I really appreciate you doing this, especially on a Saturday morning." He leant against the desk and folded his arms across his chest. "You know, the museum has a…"

He was interrupted by the soft ping that meant the showroom doors had just slid open and we both looked in that direction.

"Customers." I gave him a playful shove and a shaky smile. "Go sell a bike."

Marc grinned and nudged me gently with his elbow. "Don't let your coffee get cold," he said, then walked out into the showroom.

And I scrolled back to Edward Masen.

There were so many reasons why it couldn't be him.

For a start, there were probably dozens of Edward Masens in Sydney. And then there was Sydney itself. I mean, what would a vampire be doing on the east coast of Australia, a place known for sunshine and blue skies? I'd lived here eight months and could count the cloudy days on two hands! It was too ridiculous to even think about. Besides, was that even how he spelt his real name? I'd never seen it written down. Maybe he was Mason, with an O.

No, it couldn't be him.

But the cursor still hovered over his name, and I swore softly beneath my breath as the old fault line in my heart rippled.

There'd been a time when something like this would have sent my heart and mind into over-drive. I would have opened the file without a second though, hoping desperately for a clue, _anything_ , that might tell me where he was, what he was doing, and maybe lead me back to him, dignity be damned. If his presence had once ruled my life, his absence had consumed it.

But not anymore.

I was different now.

I wasn't _that_ Bella anymore. And I'd let Edward Cullen go a long time ago.

It had been eight years.

Eight years since I last saw his face or heard his voice. Felt his touch. Eight years since he tore my heart from my chest and took it with him, God knows where.

It had taken a long time, and a Mexican sunrise, for me to get it back. But get it back, I did.

I'd worked damned hard to get over Edward Cullen, or Masen, and I'd succeeded. Succeeded spectacularly. A scholarship to UCLA. Graduating with honours. And now the research job here at the University of Sydney.

Great friends, busy social life.

Alexander and that summer in Hawaii.

Sam and his small flat in London. That had been an amazing year.

So why was I still staring at the name on the screen? Why was my stomach in knots, and my mouth dry?

"Shock." I told myself. "And curiosity. Perfectly natural reactions. That's all." I'd gone so long without thinking about him, so of course seeing his name would bring a reaction. But shock and curiosity weren't getting the job done, and I had plans for the afternoon, so I took a deep breath and went back to checking the database. If I focused, I'd be finished in ten minutes and on my way.

Unfortunately, focussing was easier said than done. My mind kept wandering back to those two words, _Edward Masen_ , and five minutes later I clicked on his customer file, just to prove to myself what I already knew…that it wasn't him.

-0-

According to the Thunder Road database, Mr Masen had bought a silver Kawasaki Ninja H2R eight months ago. It was a special order and my jaw dropped at the price he'd paid. My jaw dropped further when I saw the top speed listed in the specifications. Apparently the Ninja H2R was capable of doing 340 kilometres an hour. So Mr Masen was wealthy, and he liked some serious speed. I swallowed hard as my hand tightened around the mouse.

His personal information listed an address an hour away at Palm Beach. His sales consultant had been someone called George. Not Marc, then. He'd paid upfront, the full amount, without a payment plan. And he'd used a premium platinum credit card to do it.

Edward Cullen had had a premium platinum credit card. He'd always paid upfront, the full amount, for everything he bought.

He'd liked to drive fast.

But he would never live in the sun. He would never live in a house at Palm Beach. I was being stupid. And I didn't know what bothered me more; seeing his name again, or my reaction to it…

Did I _want_ it to be him?

"No." Not now. Not anymore.

Taking a deep breath, I closed the customer file, and with a willpower born of long practice, pushed Edward Cullen from my mind.

He hadn't been into bikes, anyway. It wouldn't be him.

 **Author Notes: This was a short chapter, I know. More of an introduction really. Next chapter will be longer and I hope to post it in a the next few days :)**

 **This story is unbeta'd so any mistakes are mine.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-o0o-**

Palm Beach is nestled on a lush green peninsula in Sydney's northern suburbs. With a stretch of pristine ocean beach on one side a sparkling bay on the other it's a beautiful part of the world, but not the place to find a vampire. But old habits die hard, it seemed, because twenty four hours after I saw Edward Masen's name on that database, and eight years after he left me in that forest, I found myself chasing him once again.

And I hated myself for it.

That name in the database was going to haunt me though, until I'd proved to myself, beyond any doubt, that I was right. I'd already wasted half my weekend trying not to think about him, and that was half a weekend too long. So I would come here to Palm Beach, probably discover that Edward Masen was a middle-aged man with a Kawasaki and a mid-life crisis, and that would be the end of it. I'd go back to my real life, and Edward Cullen would go back to being a cautionary tale from my past.

Some of my tension faded away as I drove slowly along the narrow, windy road towards Edward Masen's address.

He lived on the ocean side. Number 42 was my goal and I smiled as I pulled up across the road from a beautifully renovated traditional beach bungalow of grey and white, with a wide verandah. I got out for a closer look, feeling more and more like my old self as I felt the sun kiss my skin. How could I have ever considered that he'd live here? With a surfboard leaning against the verandah railing and neighbours either side of him? A cat stretched lazily across the stone front steps, enjoying the warmth of early spring and obviously very much at home.

"I am such an idiot." The hard knot in my stomach at last slipped undone. And even if it had been him, what would that mean?

"Not much." Because, really, what sort of life could we have?

In a sudden moment of clarity, I realised I wasn't just _over_ Edward Cullen, I'd _outgrown_ him. When I'd thought of him in the past, and even yesterday in Marc's office, it was through the filter of my adolescence. Those painful memories came from the heart and mind of an inexperienced, insecure teenage girl. But I was twenty six now. The life I lived, the future I wanted, held no place for a seventeen year old boy. Especially a seventeen year old boy who had to live on the edge of society, always on the run from the sun.

I felt a pang of pity for Edward Cullen, and a sudden, gentle fondness. I found myself hoping, wherever he was, he was happy.

I was about to walk away when the front door of number 42 opened. The cat and I watched as a man crossed the verandah and came down the front path. He was tall and blonde, and very human. Maybe a little older than me, he was wearing a Stormtrooper t-shirt, with a laptop bag tucked under his arm, and he was yawning spectacularly.

So maybe this was Edward Masen?

At the end of the path he stopped.

"You right?" he asked, giving me a puzzled smile and I realised with a stab of embarrassment that I'd been leaning against his letterbox, staring.

"Oh…no, sorry…" I took a quick step back. "I'm just, um…" I waved my arm around, as if that might explain me loitering outside his house, and my car keys flew out of my hand. They landed at his feet with a clunk.

He bent quickly, scooped them up, and said something as he held them out to me, but he was yawning again, his words a low mumble I didn't catch. So I smiled a little and gave a vague sort of nod, hoping that would work as a response. He nodded too.

"You'd better come in then, I'll let him know you're here."

"What?"

Crap! Why did I nod? What did I just say yes to? I turned and hurried back across the road to the car, nearly stumbling over my feet as I went. It wasn't until I grabbed the door handle that I realised the sleepy blonde guy still had my keys. "Shit!"

He was up on the verandah now, disappearing through the front door, and I ran up the path behind him.

"Wait! No! There's been a mistake…"

The door opened into a long hallway. There were three doors to the right, all closed. To the left was the entry to a large living room. And my quarry was nowhere in sight.

"Um, hello?" There was silence and I took a tentative step inside, my mind racing with hastily concocted excuses for why I was here. Was I a scout for Vogue Living looking for t month's cover? Or an Uber driver come to the wrong house to pick up a fare? I was just deciding that my best option was to say, in my broadest American accent, that I was a lost tourist, when I took a proper look into the living room.

It was large, open plan, flowing into a gourmet kitchen with views over the ocean, but that wasn't what made my heart skid to a halt.

It was the shelves behind the sofa. They reached from floor to ceiling, and were neatly stacked with row upon row of CDs and vinyl records.

Without thinking, I took a small, shaky step into the room, then another, my eyes furiously scanning the rows.

Everything was categorised by genre, then in alphabetical order within that genre. Jazz, blues, classical, rock, punk, indie…

Just like Edward Cullen's music.

"I've let him know you're here." The blonde guy was back and my thoughts scattered.

"Oh, um…actually…I think there's been…" He gave me a sheepish smile as he held out my keys. I'd forgotten all about them.

"These are yours, sorry." I took them from him, mumbling a thank you. "He shouldn't be long," the guy went on. "The piano's just there, if you want to try it out while you wait. It's a good one, but I know he's happy to negotiate on the price."

I hadn't even noticed the piano. A glossy black upright stood against the opposite wall.

The Stormtrooper fan yawned again, and ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry. We've pulled an all-nighter, Ed's just waking up." He frowned and I could only imagine my expression.

"Ed?"

"You don't mind waiting, do you?"

"I…no…" So this guy wasn't Edward Masen, then?

He smiled, flashing perfect white teeth. "Okay, look, I have to get going, but if he doesn't show in five minutes it means he's fallen asleep again, so go and bang on the door. Last one on the right." He slung his laptop bag over his shoulder and began backing away. "But bang hard. Because seriously, the guy sleeps like the dead."

Alone in the living room, I took a deep breath and tried to think logically.

Ed.

Edward Masen.

I already knew someone with that name lived here. But someone with that name, who stored his music this way?

"Coincidence," I muttered. A spectacular coincidence, but still a coincidence. Renee used to watch documentaries on cable about this sort of thing. And what was I still doing here anyway? I clutched my keys tightly and walked back into the hall, ready to leave.

At the end of the hallway, the last door on the right stood slightly ajar now. All was silent. Thankfully, Ed seemed to have fallen back to sleep, and I could get out quietly before embarrassing myself.

I had planned to walk outside, I really had. I was going to go down the path, climb into my car and drive away. But curiosity was burning through me, and instead, I found myself creeping towards the bedroom door and holding my breath as I peeked inside.

He was sprawled across the massive bed on his stomach, his face turned away from me as he snored softly. His tanned legs were tangled in the sheets and one arm hung over the edge of the mattress. The blinds were open and the midday sun fell brightly on the long-fingered hand without any hint of a spark.

If I'd had any doubts before, now they disappeared instantly. He wasn't Edward. Well, at least, not Edward Cullen.

The hard-muscled breath of his bare back and shoulders was more proof. This was no lanky teenager.

But his hair…

It was a mess of vivid bronze against the white of the pillow and I began to wonder…

Could this be a human relation of Edward's?

Some distant Masen cousin who'd inherited his name and his love of music, along with the hair?

I'd heard of much weirder things from Renee.

The possibility hit me like a wrecking ball, and I gasped. A little too loudly.

The snoring stopped, the figure in the bed stirred, my curiosity fled and the thought of being caught in a strange man's room, watching him sleep, sent a wave of hot panic pulsing through me. I started to back away, bumped into a chair I hadn't seen, and fell flat on my backside. The chair toppled over. It crashed into the bedroom door, slamming it shut, and Edward Masen sat up with a start.

I didn't stop to look. I scrambled to my feet, shoved past the chair, opened the door, and took off down the hallway, bumping into the wall and sliding along the polished floorboards as I went.

There'd be time to think about Edward's descendant later and hopefully I'd be in my car and gone before he had a chance to dial triple 0 and have me arrested.

Then with one word, my whole world changed.

"Bella?"

I knew that voice. From a long time ago. Deep and smooth, hearing it again brought a heated rush of pleasure and pain and stopped me in my tracks.

I turned slowly, and faced Edward Cullen.

He stood there, sheet clutched round his hips, chest heaving with rapid breaths. His green eyes vivid with raw shock and disbelief.

"My God…" he whispered, and his gaze ran over me slowly, like he was taking in every detail. But I was taking in details of my own.

The line of his jaw, the curve of his cheekbones, were as familiar to me as my own, but they framed the face of a man, not a boy. At a guess, he looked like he was close to thirty. His nose was different than it had been when I knew him. Not quite as fine or straight, like perhaps it had been broken as some stage. There was heavy stubble on his jaw, and a light dusting of hair across his chest. It was a nice chest.

And those eyes, now so green, yet still the same.

I used to drown in those eyes.

My mind couldn't keep up with what it was seeing. It searched for logic and understanding, and failed miserably. Silence stretched between us, two people obviously trying to reconcile past with present, and then suddenly, Edward spoke, his tone clearly incredulous.

"What…what on earth are you doing in Australia?" He dragged his free hand through his sleep-tousled hair.

"Work," I blurted. "I work here. Live here." My heart didn't seem to know whether to pound even harder than it already was, or to stop altogether. My eyes raked Edward's form from head to toe. He was different, but still beautiful. His feet were bare and I realised I'd never seen him without shoes before. Suddenly, it seemed very intimate, looking at his feet, and I glanced away.

"I thought…" he began, voice soft. The column of his throat moved slowly as he swallowed hard. His free hand moved, it was just a small movement and I thought for a moment, with thudding heart, that he was reaching for me. But then he curled his fingers into a fist that he dropped back to his side. He shook his head and briefly closed his eyes. "You're interested in buying the piano?" His voice was matter-of-fact now.

"Huh? Oh, no."

"Nick said…"

"The guy with the Stormtrooper shirt?"  
"Yes."

Now it made sense. "You're selling your piano?"

"Nick thought you were answering the ad."

"Oh."

There was another silence as I continued to stare at Edward, and Edward stared back, his intense gaze almost a glare. I wondered what _my_ face looked like. And whether we'd ever mention the elephant in the room. Or the ex-vampire.

"I…you're…you're…" The word wouldn't seem to come. "You've got a cat."

"Neighbour's cat," he said, frowning. "It just likes to hang out here. I don't know why."

"Because you're…" Still, I couldn't say it. It was as though the impossibility of what I was seeing had robbed me of the right words.

"Human," Edward said quietly. "I'm human."

Yes. He was. Very human. "Um…how?"

Edward took a slow, deep breath and looked towards the living room. "You have questions, of course."

There was something in his tone, in his posture, that gave me the feeling he didn't want to talk. That there was some inner conflict he was trying to conceal. It reminded me of some of the first conversations we'd had, back in the Forks High cafeteria almost a decade ago.

"I'll just…er…" He indicated the sheet bunched round his hips, the faintest hint of an apologetic smile on his lips, and I was surprised when a subtle blush coloured his cheeks. "I'll be right back." He paused. "Make yourself comfortable. It's a long story."

-o0o-

 **A/N: Thank you to Edward's Eternal who kindly cast her expert eye over this chapter. Mwah! xx**

 **And thank you, thank you, thank you all for the wonderful response to this story so far! Your comments and reviews have been amazing and I appreciate them all** **J**

 **I'm going on holiday tomorrow so I won't be able to update for about a week or so. But I'll be working on chapter 3 while I'm away** **J**

.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-o0o-**

It's a strange thing, delayed reaction.

A moment ago, I'd been kind of numb with shock as I'd stood in front of Edward Cullen for the first time in eight years. But now, as I watched him kick the trailing sheet out of his way before walking back up the hall, the full impact of his sudden appearance hit me.

As he disappeared into his bedroom I had to grab the door post to hold myself up. While my legs went to water, my breath caught in my chest and my head spun. The knot that had started in my stomach seemed to spread through my body. Everything was starting to go a little dark and fuzzy round the edges. With a sharp gasp I managed to gulp some much-needed air, and allowed myself to slide gently down the door post until I was sitting on the glossy timber floor of the hall, right in the open doorway.

My gaze focused on the boards where Edward had just stood.

Was this real? Not just Edward being human, but Edward being _here_?

I was shaking so hard now, my mind a tumble of old memories and new shock as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. But it _didn't_ make sense.

"How?" I muttered, hugging myself, as much to stop the shaking as for the comfort. "How?" Hot tears stung my eyes and tracked down my cheeks and I dashed them away quickly with the back of my hand. "Oh, God…" My voice cracked. _"How?"_

There were so many questions. _Too many_ questions. My brain was on overload, with thoughts just skidding over the surface, no longer able to sink in. My heart was the same. So many feelings trying to punch their way out of my chest, coming so hard and fast I could barely identify what they were.

And things were going dark and fuzzy again.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to take some slow deep yoga breaths while I visualised the gently rippling water of a calm blue ocean. _One thing at a time,_ I told myself. _Focus on one thing at a time. You don't have to have everything solved at once – there'll be time for that later. Just pick one thing for now, and go with it._

Standing up. I'd start with standing up. That would be my whole focus for now and with that in mind, I took some more deep breaths.

Gradually, the shakes began to calm. My mind started to clear a little and though the knot in my stomach remained, it no longer felt like it was trying to reach up and strangle me. I opened my eyes, looked down the hall and wondered how long I had until Edward re-emerged.

From the bedroom came the crash of something falling over, and a muffled curse. A moment later I heard a shower start. So I had probably had at least a few minutes then.

With one more deep breath, I stood up. My legs were fine. The shakes had reduced to a slight tremble in my hands. "Better," I murmured and gave myself a mental pat on the back. "Much better."

Edward had suggested I wait in the living room, so I did. But sitting still wasn't an option right now. Calmer I might have been, but there was still a nervous energy coursing through me that meant sinking into the squishy leather sofa wasn't about to happen. Along with the nervous energy, was a curiosity so intense it almost burned, and I found myself scouring the room for hints and clues that might answer some of my questions. Because in the back of my mind lurked the possibility that Edward might decide to tell me nothing.

It was a large, open space. I got the impression that what had once been separate kitchen, living and dining rooms had all been knocked into one. It reminded me a little of a loft apartment I visited once in New York, but without the exposed brick. The living room-kitchen flowed into a sunroom that spilled onto a wide deck that overlooked the sea. The whole place was awash with light, and simple in décor – just a few modern pieces of obvious good quality. There was nothing from his past, nothing I recognised, apart from the music collection. Even the piano was different. The glossy black upright looked new and I wondered what had happened to the baby grand he'd had in Forks. I looked for the battered old trophy cup where he used to toss his car keys, but if he still had it, it wasn't in this room.

A closer inspection of his music did reveal some changes though - the Rolling Stones. Some Jimi Hendrix. There was a Bob Dylan album cover sitting on the glass-topped coffee table. "I thought you didn't like 60s or 70s music," I murmured softly to myself.

He had some artwork decorating the walls. Mostly modern pieces, and some arty black and white architectural style photos of old buildings and brick archways.

There was a blanket and pillow tossed on the armchair in the corner and I wondered if Nick the Stormtrooper had slept on the sofa after the all-nighter. There was a console and controllers in the entertainment unit beneath the flatscreen. Next to what was obviously an expensive sound system.

The kitchen island was a mess of scattered papers. Floorplans. Blue prints. Pencil sketches. Typed lists of building materials. There was also a laptop, and a pair of reading glasses. "You're an architect? With bad eye sight?" I picked them up and looked through the lenses. Human Edward was short sighted.

Laying among the papers and pens was a watch, a modern piece of stainless steel and black. A worn-looking leather satchel bag lay open on one of the island stools, its flap hanging down, revealing a couple of folders, and a pair of headphones. "You're messier than you used to be."

Two pizza boxes poked out of the silver trash can in the kitchen. I knew I shouldn't, but I snuck a peek in the walk-in pantry, wondering what an ex-vampire eats. "Oh, wow!" To say it was well-stocked was an understatement. It looked more like an in-house supermarket with rows and rows of tins and packets and jars. "Tim Tams?" Edward Cullen liked Tim Tams? There were several packets of the chocolate biscuits, one of them open and the contents mostly gone. And he obviously liked variety in his breakfast cereal – there were five different types of muesli, all opened. Curry was clearly a big favourite too, judging by the number of jars of Tandoori paste.

"All this for one person." Or perhaps he didn't live alone. Not that I cared. I rubbed at the knot in my chest and turned to the huge, black, double-door fridge, tucked away in its own special recess, curious to see what treasures it held. But as I reached for the handle, it was a child's drawing, laminated and held in place by a souvenir fridge magnet from the Big Banana that took all my attention.

Drawn in crayon, the vivid, multi-coloured birthday cake was decorated with glitter and stick on stars, while the rainbow-striped candles were being lit by a grinning, purple, fire-breathing dragon. Underneath the dragon, some small hand had taken great care and trouble to write _Hapy Birhtday_ , followed by a long row of wobbly x's and o's and a large lime green heart.

"Can I get you something?"

Edward's voice startled me and I quickly let go of the door handle. "Oh! Um, no…I'm fine." I cleared my throat and moved away from the kitchen into the living area. The shakes were coming back and I started again with the deep breaths as I stood beside the piano.

His hair was wet. It dripped onto the shoulders of the white t-shirt that hung loose over blue jeans. His feet were still bare. There was a polite smile on his lips, and caution in his eyes as he pushed his hair back from his forehead.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi."

He walked past me into the kitchen. He no longer had those supernaturally smooth moves, but I thought I saw an echo of the vampire in the ease of his walk and the subtle roll of his shoulders. "I was going to make a coffee," he said. "Are you sure you wouldn't like something?"

"Actually…" My mouth was suddenly dry. "Something cold, if you've got it?"

He nodded and opened the fridge. "There's orange juice. Guava juice. Soda water. Coke. Ice water…" He didn't mention the drawing. And I didn't ask.

"Orange juice, thanks."

"No problem. Ice?"

"Er, no."

He was so polite. Almost formal. I felt like I was with a stranger. Which he was, in a way.

He grabbed the juice and a glass from a cupboard. It was so weird watching him like this, calmly playing host and moving around the kitchen in such a human way. My eyes traced the line of blue veins that ran through the back of his large hands, and over the muscles of his forearms. I was starting to get that overwhelmed feeling again and took a slow breath.

"It's a nice place," I said as he set the glass on the island and I pulled up one of the stools.

"Thank you." He flashed me the quickest of smiles as he dropped a coffee pod into the machine.

"You're an architect." I motioned towards the laptop and papers, trying to sound confident and casual and not like my world had just been turned upside down.

"Engineer," he corrected

"Oh." My mistake was small, but for some stupid reason, I felt foolish. "When I saw the plans…"

I was granted another quick smile. "There's a certain amount of crossover between the two," he said, taking some of the sting out of my embarrassment. I wondered if he would ask me something. Like where I worked, or lived. But he didn't. He wasn't comfortable about me being here, that was obvious. There was tension in the set of his jaw and in the tightness around his eyes. But then, I'd had a day to get used to the idea of him, while for Edward, this was all completely out of the blue. So Alice mustn't have seen me coming this time.

"How did you find me?" he asked. His voice was casual enough, but it was almost like he'd read my mind. For a moment I wondered if he could. I was a little thrown by the question and blurted out my answer.

"You were in the data base. And I wasn't looking."

That didn't make proper sense, I knew. He frowned as the coffee machine began to gurgle and he set a stainless steel coffee cup in position. The smell of espresso filled the room.

"What database?"

"Thunder Road Motorcycles."

"You work at Thunder Road?" There was a hint of surprise in his voice, I thought.

"No. My friend works there. He's an archaeologist."

The coffee machine gurgled its last. Edward picked up the cup as I began to explain.

"What I mean is, he's an archaeologist but he can't find any work. His next love is motorcycles so he got a job in a dealership until something comes up. He's better with a trowel and a toothbrush than computers though, so when he was having problems with his customer database he asked me to help." I took a long sip of juice. "Your name came up."

"But not Cullen." He was frowning again.

"No. Masen."

His eyebrows rose and there was new surprise in his face. I nodded, setting the glass down on the marble. Of course, he'd been dealing with Jasper and the fall-out of my ruined birthday party while Carlisle had stitched up my arm. He'd never heard the conversation. I'd never mentioned it. "Carlisle told me," I said softly.

"Oh."

A raw silence stretched between us as Edward focused on his coffee and I stared at the drawing on the fridge. I wondered if he could hear the pounding of my heart like he once would have. Probably not.

"So then you were curious?" When I looked up his face was smooth, eyes calm. Like we were talking about the weather. I swallowed past the thickness in my throat.

"I didn't think it could be you, not here." I motioned towards the glass doors and the sun. "But…" I shrugged as Edward leant against the sink, arms crossed tightly over his chest, coffee in his hand.

"When?" he said quietly, looking down at steaming cup. "How long ago did you find me in the database?"

"Just yesterday. It was a shock, seeing your name and it made me… I was really coming here to prove to myself that it couldn't be you."

"But it _was_ me." He lifted his eyes, staring at me intently. "So, where do we start?" he asked, voice low. He sounded almost resigned.

The truth was, I didn't know where to start. It all felt too big, and part of me hadn't expected him to talk, but once again I went back to my mantra – _just pick one thing…_

"Tell me how you became human?"

He nodded, and took a mouthful of coffee. "Short version, I got human blood in my veins."

I waited for more, but as Edward stayed silent, my eyes widened. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"But…"

"What were you expecting?"

"I…I don't know. Not that." I shook my head. "Vampires take human blood into their bodies all the time."

"Not directly into their veins, though, that's the difference. Nothing can break through vampire skin, except vampire teeth, and we aren't normally in the habit of biting ourselves."

We? I found it curious that he was including himself as a vampire in that explanation. And then I thought about what he'd said.

"So, you're saying it's like the difference between swallowing a pill and having an intravenous injection? The shot always has a more powerful, more concentrated result."

"In basic terms, yes, it's like that."

"So, human blood is the antidote to vampire venom?"

"It seems to be."

"Oh…" For a moment my mind focused on the science, and I didn't think too much about what I was actually discussing, or who I was discussing it with. "How does that work, though? I mean, if human blood is the antidote to venom, why does venom turn humans into vampires?"

"Carlisle has several theories." Edward swirled his coffee as he stared into its depths, avoiding eye contact, it seemed. "He wonders if it could be something to do with blood gases, or the oxygenation of cells. Also, vampires are effectively a closed system so the introduction of a foreign element into that system could be a factor."

"Like an immunity issue?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. Or it could be one of those mysteries of the universe, and we'll never know the answer."

"What do you think it is?"

He lifted his bright green gaze. "I think the universe likes to keep its secrets."

He didn't want to talk anymore, that was clear now. If that last sentence wasn't a clue, his body language said it all. Despite the green eyes and the beating heart, now that the initial shock was over he was just like he had been when he'd said goodbye eight years ago. Detached. Unemotional. I obviously had that effect on him. But I was stronger than the last time I saw him. And I had questions, lots of questions, and in some strange way I felt he owed me.

"You said in the hallway that it was a long story."

He nodded, and set his cup down on the sink. I thought he might pull up a stool and sit, but he didn't.

"My family and I, we came across a hiker in the woods outside Seattle. There was a newborn…" He paused to let me fill in the gaps, and when I nodded for him to go on, he did. "Jasper and Emmett took care of the newborn while Carlisle went to the hiker. The venom hadn't spread too far and he thought there was hope – he asked me to try to save her."

A slow shiver made its way up my spine. "Like you saved me."

He looked away, towards the deck and the sea. "I did as he asked, but I began to take too much." His jaw tightened, hard. "Emmett pulled me away in time but the urge to bite was too strong. I tore into my own arm, down deep, into the brachial artery." He rubbed absently at his bicep. "My mouth was still full of her blood and the power of the bite forced that blood into my system." He was still for a moment, and then he turned back to me with another one of those polite smiles. "Is that everything you want to know?"

My mouth had been hanging open and I shut it quickly as I processed what I'd just been told. Not even close, I thought. "How long did the change take?"

"Eight days."

Eight. So much longer than when he became a vampire. I thought of my own experience in that ballet studio and wondered how he could have stood it.

"What about the hiker?"

"She survived," Edward answered. "Thanks to Carlisle, some paramedics and a dose of painkillers that would explain away any bizarre hallucinations she might have had."

"Like…vampires?"

He nodded.

In the silence I suddenly became aware of a soft knocking sound. It took me a moment to realise it was Edward, standing one foot crossed over the other, tapping out a rapid rhythm against one of the cabinet doors. The human was restless.

"How long have you been human?"

"A while."

"Oh?"

There was a slight hesitation before he spoke. "Seven, almost eight, years."

I didn't know what I'd been expecting, or if I'd been expecting anything at all, but his answer made me feel like I'd been kicked in the guts. "You…so…you…it happened right after you left Forks?"

"A few months later." He looked away again while a startling wave of anguish and resentment came from nowhere, crashed over me, pulling me under and holding me down. I couldn't breathe and the thought that had been nagging at me since I saw him half-naked in the hallway, finally pushed its way forward.

Why hadn't he come to find me?

I would have still been living in Forks. He would have known exactly where I was. And even after highschool I was easily traceable for someone like a Cullen.

From somewhere, I found my voice and it was surprisingly strong and clear. "When did you come to Australia?"

"Does it matter?"

"I don't know. Is there a reason why you can't tell me?"

"Five years ago." His voice was so calm, his eyes so remote.

Five years. Long, long before I'd even thought of leaving the US. To give myself a moment, I drained my glass of juice and hoped he didn't notice how my hand shook. I should go. Just pick up and go. But apparently, I wasn't finished torturing myself yet.

"And, um, what made you come here?"

Another shrug. He uncrossed his arms and, still leaning with his back against the sink, curled his long fingers around the edge of the counter. The veins in his arms stood out as his lifeblood pumped through him. "It's somewhere different. I like it here. And it's warm."

California is warm. Texas is warm.

But he'd wanted to put an ocean between us. He'd changed his name.

That was how much he didn't want me. Even as a human.

In this new silence I tried to keep myself together, reminding myself that I was over him and hating myself for feeling the way I did. I tried to hate him, too. I sat, perfectly still, barely breathing, staring at Edward's knuckles as they strained white beneath his tanned skin, almost like the bones would break through. I had more questions, but I didn't want to hear the answers. I didn't want to be here. I got off the stool, careful not to stumble or fall. With great effort and dignity, I smiled.

"Well, that's everything I guess. I should probably go. Thanks for the juice, good luck with the engineering. And don't worry, I'll keep the secrets of the universe safe."

At least this time I'd be the one walking away.

"Bella…"

I didn't look back.

I shouldn't have come. I should have never opened that file. "It's okay," I said as I walked past the coffee table. "I'll show myself out."

It's funny how one small, seemingly inconsequential thing can change a person's whole world. In the middle of the living room I stopped, and as I stood staring at the Bob Dylan album on the coffee table, it was as if something clicked into place. A new truth began to dawn. That album cover inspired a dozen different memories, words and actions that suddenly took on very different meanings. And each new meaning led to another, a long chain of thought that brought me to a realisation that left me breathless and burning.

"Oh! Oh, my God..." Slowly, I turned back to Edward, and I spoke without thinking, the words tumbling from my lips without permission.

"You still love me. You always have."

He was holding the empty juice glass, and he almost dropped it. The façade of cool composure vanished as he fumbled the glass awkwardly so it bounced off his hands, a one-handed juggle so clumsy and so very human, until he got a firm grip and almost slammed it down on the counter. He dragged his hands through his hair, his face all shock and confusion like when he'd seen me in the hallway. But there was fear as well. A heartbreaking fear that shook me more than his detachment had. My heart was racing, like it might give out at any moment, but I stood my ground, facing him, waiting for answers, just as someone knocked on the open front door.

"Hello!" called a woman's voice. "Anyone home? I've come about the piano."

-o0o-

 **A/N: Thank you all for the amazing response to this story! xxx Please stay with me, all will gradually be revealed :)**

 **And thank you Melanie for your super beta skills, and the debate over "spun" and "span". xxx**

 **After this chapter was beta'd, I decided I wanted to change a few things around, and I came up with a new ending I liked better, so any mistakes you see are mine :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Quick note: Gumtree is an Australian version e-Bay**

 **-o0o-**

It's possible that in the entire history of the world, there had never been worse timing, but if Edward expected me to leave, he was going to be disappointed.

The piano lady knocked again. Edward's eyes stayed on mine, his burning emerald gaze pinning me in place, keeping hold of my heart as it skipped a beat. Or two.

"Am I wrong?" I asked quietly.

"Hello?" called the voice. "Anyone there? Have I got the right place?"

If Edward was aware of his visitor, he didn't show it. Somewhere deep inside, I felt a faint spark of hope, which surprised me.

What was I hoping _for_ , exactly?

"Hello? _HELLO!_ Oh, bugger this, he'll be getting a 1-star review on Gumtree."

Edward's hands shook slightly as he released them from the tangle of his hair, and dropped them to his sides. He swallowed slowly. "Excuse me just a moment." He stepped away from the island and walked past me into the hall.

As I heard him apologise politely, I took a slow, deep breath, and began to wonder what the fuck I was thinking. Away from his gaze, with the spell broken, I began to doubt.

What if I _was_ wrong?

Maybe his vampire feelings hadn't translated to his human heart.

I glanced at the album cover and the connection I'd made suddenly seemed all sorts of stupid and so very, very weak. I mean, seriously, the old music film clip for _Subterranean Homesick Blues,_ and a scene from _Love, Actually?_ Songs and movies? Really, Bella?

"Oh, God…" I groaned. What the fuck had I done? How big a fool had I just made of myself? Over on the fridge the dragon drawing taunted me. Edward had a new life. Maybe with kids.

His kids?

I stopped myself right there, refusing to let myself go down that path just yet.

Clearly I wasn't the only one who had changed. And it would be naïve of me to think Edward hadn't.

I should go. Excuse myself politely and leave. Nothing good could come from staying.

But then I remembered his fingers, curled round the countertop so hard his knuckles were white. They were not the knuckles of someone who didn't care. Even if his face said otherwise.

So maybe my epiphany based on songs and movies, was right. And if it was right, who cared where it came from? So what if the cue cards in Bob Dylan's video reminded me of a scene in a romantic comedy where the guy hid his love for Keira Knightley behind clipped sentences and cold disinterest.

But if Edward cared, why would he hide? What was behind that fear in his eyes?

I could feel a headache starting. I was giving myself emotional whiplash.

Edward was still in conversation at the front door as I sank slowly onto the leather sofa. I wouldn't leave. I'd stay, and I'd get my answers. Whatever they were.

A moment later I heard the door close but it was a few tense moments more before Edward walked back into the living room. He sat on the edge of the glass coffee table and leant forward. His hands were steady now, and he let them hang loose between his thighs. His jaw was set hard. The fear in his eyes was gone, replaced by a look that was just this side of a glare.

"You were my first human thought," he said without pause or preamble. "The _second_ I realised what was happening to me, my decision was made and a future with you was all I wanted. And the second _after_ that, Alice had a vision. I still had my gift back then, and I saw what she saw." His mouth became a hard line. "A future with me meant no future for you."

His words sent a jolt through my heart as my mind tried to keep up. "Wh…what did you see?"

"Fire," he said, almost through gritted teeth. "Flames. A wall of them. And you…" A sharp shudder ran through his body. "Bella, I will always be a danger to you, I can never..." For some reason, he shot a quick glance towards the kitchen, then rubbed his hands roughly over his face. A moment later his determined eyes met mine. "But to answer your question, no, you're not wrong. I still love you. I will die loving you."

"Oh…"

So I was right.

And now I didn't know what to feel. Anger fought with joy. Relief danced with sorrow. But it was the past that boiled up to the surface.

"Then…the last eight years have been a lie," I murmured, standing up to move around the room because this was all too much and I couldn't sit still anymore. "Your goodbye in Forks was a lie. And today, if I hadn't called you out, you would have let me leave here still believing that lie. Why?"

"Self-preservation," he said tightly as he stood too. He was defensive, wary, and his words came quickly. "It was instinct. I didn't know why you were here, or what you were thinking. I still don't. It's taken me a long, long time to get where I am now and when I saw you…" He paused and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, frowning. "And now I don't know what being here will mean for you or what danger it's put you in."

"So you wanted to get me out fast?"

"It's still no excuse for my behaviour. It was a bastard of a thing for me to do, I know that, and I'm sorry." He swallowed hard.

It's funny the things you notice when your mind is busy elsewhere. While part of my brain was dealing with Edward's apology, declaration and confession, another part was focused on the stubble of his jaw. Sunlight was streaming into the room and a narrow beam had settled on his face, highlighting the colours of the thick five-o'clock shadow. Huh…he had a red beard. Warm, dark, red, not ginger. But redder than his hair.

His next words had all my attention, however.

"Back in Forks..." My eyes darted quickly to his, stubble in the sunlight all forgotten. He was going to talk about Forks. My breath caught with old pain and new anger and my heart curled itself into a tight, protective ball. Some new emotion flickered across Edward's face, too fast for me to catch. He raised his hand, and for a second I thought he was reaching for me, like when we were in the hall earlier, but then he balled his fingers into a fist that fell back to his side. "What I did back then was unforgiveable," he said and I could feel the fault line in my heart ripple and tear. Was he actually going to…

"I was scared and desperate and I handled things appallingly and I regret it every day. I am so, so sor…"

"No!" I snapped, cutting him off as my anger boiled over. "No, don't you dare say you're sorry now because it's way too late for that and sorry isn't going to cut it! Do you have _any_ idea what you did to me?"

It was as if I'd slapped him. He recoiled, shock in his eyes.

"So it was all for my safety? Was that it? _My_ safety. _Mine._ But you couldn't talk to _me_ about it? You couldn't let _me_ in on the big plans for _my_ safety? Instead you thought you'd tell me I wasn't good enough and then skip town. Was that better?"

"No. It was cruel. _I_ was cruel. But at the time…" he shook his head and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "I couldn't see any other way. I tried, but I could see you weren't going to let go."

"You should have talked to me!"

"I know." He dropped his hands and met my stare. "Would you have listened?"

Now I felt like I'd been slapped. His words stung, and mostly because, deep down, I knew he was right. I wouldn't have listened. I wouldn't have let go. Shit! I would have clung to the back of the bloody Volvo as he'd driven out of town, if I'd had the chance. Though right now I didn't want to admit it to myself. I didn't want to see myself that way – it was so far removed from the Bella I'd become.

I moved away from the shelves, towards the kitchen. The juice glass was still there on the island and I wanted to grab it and throw it. "You're still not telling me everything, are you?" I shot a pointed look at the birthday dragon.

"I've told you the truth."

"But not the whole truth, I'm guessing. Do you have kids?"

"No," he said shortly, and it was clear from his face that the dragon was a closed subject. No more discussion would be entered into. He folded his arms over his chest and my question, about the identity of the tiny artist, remained unasked.

My mind skipped to something else. To one of the other puzzles sitting, incomplete, in my head.

"I thought Alice's visions weren't set in stone. Things can change, the future can change - you used to tell me that." It was a challenge I'd thrown him, and he met it head on, each of us glaring at the other.

"Things _can_ change, doesn't mean they will. Every time I've thought about finding you, the vision comes. Alice would call. Every. Single. Time. In nearly eight years it's never changed." He came closer, until he was towering over me, emerald eyes blazing. The growl of his voice sent a shiver through me. "I will not risk you."

"You're assuming I want to be risked. That…that I still want you."

"I assume nothing."

I could feel the heat from his body. The raw, vital warmth of him. The pounding of his pulse beneath his jaw. So alive. So human.

"So, you moved to another hemisphere? That was to keep me safe?"

He nodded. "And to keep me from temptation."

Then he stepped back quickly, dragging his hands through his hair. I tried to bring my racing heart to heel.

"I had to let go," he said quietly, voice thick. "For you, and for me."

I continued to prowl around the room while Edward stood by the piano, tracking my progress with careful eyes. The silence was so thick it was almost suffocating. The sliding door to the deck was open and I inhaled deeply, trying to breathe the sea air.

I was on overload again. Thoughts, feelings, questions… For a moment I distracted myself with a business card poking out from the papers on the island. From behind me, Edward's voice came gently.

"Bella, you had moved on," he said. "And I needed to."

What he said was fair enough, but it hurt more than I cared to admit.

"Your coming here," he went on. "I don't know what risk it's put you in."

"You said that before."

"If I could change things I would but I can't. I can't fight fate."

I slid the card back into the pile.

"You can't? You didn't even try, Edward."

And that was the truth.

Suddenly, the fight went out of me and all I wanted to do was leave. There were still so many questions, but I just didn't care about the answers. I straightened my shoulders, sighed, and somehow found a smile.

"But you know what, I'm better off. I couldn't be with someone who's ruled by fear and secrets. I want someone who'd fight fate for me."

For a horrible moment, I thought I was going to cry. I turned away, blinking, until the sensation went away.

"But it's all good, really," I said, turning back again. Edward was sitting on the piano stool. His face was unreadable, but his arms were folded tightly across his chest, like he was holding himself together. "You're right. I moved on a long time ago. And it's clear you have too." I waved a careless hand at the dragon. "I guess it's true, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." And after this, I was fucking titanium. "So, this is it now. This time you get to watch me walk away." I snatched up my keys from the coffee table. "Goodbye, Edward."

He gave a small nod of acknowledgement, his face remote, almost cold. "Goodbye, Bella."

I walked out the door, down the steps and up the path towards my car. I didn't look back, even when I heard the sound of smashing glass.

-o0o-

I spent the next week not thinking about Edward Cullen. He didn't cross my mind as I cooked dinner in my Balmain flat with its _almost_ harbour views. I didn't give him a thought while I examined a sample of blue-green algae under a microscope in the lab. He wasn't the first thing I thought of when I woke and I wasn't wondering about him during my yoga class.

I didn't have a million questions about his family and his mind reading and why he was selling the piano, either.

And Edward especially didn't come to mind when Marc called and asked me to go with him to a function at the Sydney Museum.

"I still owe you for fixing my computer," he said. "So will you come?"

"What is it again?"

There was a sound of exasperation from the other end of the phone. "You're not listening, are you?"  
"I am."

"You've been distracted lately."

"No I haven't. I'm busy cooking, that's all. And the neighbours are thumping around upstairs again, lots of noise." I tucked the phone tighter under my ear as I rolled another meatball. "So remind me?"

"Next Saturday. The museum in College Street…"

"The one near Hyde Park?"

"That's the one. They've built a new wing, some amazing annexe with a roof that goes up and down. It's going to house visiting exhibitions and I've got a mate who works there and he's got me an invite to the grand opening."

"Sounds good."

"It should be. And the museum curator will be there, of course, so I'll get to tout for a job and bring a friend with me while I do it. You'll give me an air of respectability. And I know you like history and museums, yeah?"

I smiled. It was sweet of him to ask me. And I did like history and museums.

"I'll be happy to make you respectable," I said, and then groaned when he told me it was black-tie.

-o0o-

It was six-thirty. My hair was pulled back in a chic roll. I'd carefully applied mascara and lipstick and the dress I'd borrowed from my friend Rachel swung softly round my legs.

Champagne chiffon.

On the coat hanger it had looked like a beige rag, but now that I had it on…  
"You look great," Rachel said.

"It has a train."

"Just a small one."

"I'm going to die. I'm going to trip over it and break my neck."

"Are you planning on walking backwards at some point?"

"No."

"Then you won't trip over it. Look, I survived my grad ball in it. You'll survive this."

I stuck out my foot and took a look at the silver strips that had been strapped to it. At least the heels weren't stupidly high. These I could probably manage.

"You really do look lovely." Rachel smiled and looked over the top of her glasses. "Where's your bag?"

"In the bedroom, on the dressing table."  
She disappeared and returned a moment later, her eyes wide as she held up the beaded vintage evening bag. "This is gorgeous. Where did you get it?"  
I nodded to the common wall that joined my flat to number two. "Beryl, next door. It's hers."

Rachel turned the bag over and over, examining it closely before handing it to me. "That's so kind of her."

"I know. She's lovely. It's like having your grandma live next door." She'd been warm and welcoming since the day I moved in. "I invited her to come and see the final ensemble…"

A soft knock interrupted me and when I answered the door, there stood Beryl, blue eyes sparkling, a bottle of champagne in her hand.

"I thought we could whet our whistles, just for a bit of fun," she said. "Champagne to match the dress. Ooh, don't you look lovely, Bella. Turn around for me? Yes, very nice. Hang on…" She reached up an arthritic hand and adjusted a couple of the soft folds that draped gently across the bodice. "That's better. It's got a Greek goddess look about it, hasn't it? Especially being one-shouldered."

"And the bag looks perfect with it," Rachel said.

"A keepsake from my youth," she smiled wistfully. "It's a bit on the tiny side, won't fit much more than a hanky and your lippy, but it's perfect for something like this. Now…" she held up the bottle. "Do we have glasses?"

Rachel had, probably very valid, concerns about me spilling champagne on my dress, so while she went to pour out three glasses, I sat on the sofa and Beryl took the armchair. She cocked her head, studying me.

"You look very beautiful, but there's something up, isn't there? You've lost that little spark in your eyes. I noticed it the other day too. Everything alright at home? Mum and Dad okay?"

"Mom and Dad are fine. I'm just tired." There were new banging sounds from upstairs and we both looked towards the ceiling. "I think the Maloney's have been renovating since the day I moved in."

"And before that," Beryl said. "I'm guessing it's a massive spa bath they're putting in right now."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"Because I saw it arrive this afternoon." She chuckled. "Got stuck on the stairs for a while, but they found a way around it. Lucky we're only in a two-storey block."

I giggled with her as I looked around the flat. It was a small block of four. Two up, two down. Built in the 1930s, there were lots of original features, beautifully maintained, but…

"I can't really see a spa bath fitting in with the art deco, can you?"

Beryl shook her head. "No. I can't. But I thought the same when they put that satellite dish on the roof last year." She waved the satellite dish away. "So, you're tired? What have you been up to?"

"Work, stuff, you know." I shifted awkwardly because I knew Beryl would see right through me. She was one of the most perceptive people I'd ever met. But if she didn't believe me, I knew she wouldn't push it. And because she didn't push it, a moment later I found myself telling her.

"I ran into an old boyfriend a couple of weeks ago. It didn't go well."

"Ah, I see. Bad breakup was it?"

"You could say that." I shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, pretty bad."

"Bloody men," Beryl muttered. "Even my Jack, God love him, he'd drive me mad sometimes. Ooh, thanks pet…" She took the glass that Rachel offered and sipped. "He drove me mad, but still, I wouldn't have traded him for all the tea in China. How long ago did you break up?"

"Eight years."

Rachel handed me my glass and I smiled my thanks as she sat next to me. "You talking about Edward?" she asked and I nodded. Poor Rachel. She'd copped a rant from me over coffee the day after my trip to Palm Beach. Well, an edited rant. Very vague on details, but it had felt so good to talk to someone.

"He sounds like a prick," Rachel said. "He lied when they broke up, but now he says he still loves her, but he can't be with her because he has a dark past."

"Rachel!"

"That's what you told me." She turned to Beryl. "I said it's probably the mafia, and she's better off."

"And I told you it's not the mafia! All I said was there were some things in his past that he couldn't get over. Can we please not make up stories about my ex?" Why did I ever mention anything? Next time I needed someone to talk to, I'd try the Maloney's cat.

And I wasn't comfortable with her assessment of him, I realised with surprise.

"Eight years, you say?" Beryl was frowning into her glass.

"I know, I know. It shouldn't bother me after so long. It was just a shock that was all." Of course I couldn't go into details about why. "But I'm over him. It's all good."

"You can be over someone and still love them," Beryl said softly. "Eight years. Do you still fancy him?"

"Er, I…" Yes. Yes, I did. He was gorgeous. "Yes, he's very handsome, but fancying someone doesn't mean you want to be with them."

"True, true," Beryl smiled. "I fancy Ray at the deli but I don't want his shoes under my bed." While I tried to hide my surprise she gave a throaty chuckle, but then sobered a moment later. "But you're thrown into each other's path now, eight years after you broke up. That's…interesting."

I looked at her, curious. She waved a dismissive hand. "It's nothing. Ignore me."

"No, tell us," Rachel shifted to the edge of her seat. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking…" Beryl leaned forward conspiratorially. "That the number eight represents balance in numerology." She nodded, sat back again, and polished off her glass.

"Numerology?" Rachel looked at me and I shrugged.

"And some other philosophies believe the number eight is for new beginnings," Beryl continued. "Or good luck. Make of it what you will. Could be rubbish. Could be coincidence. But maybe…" she leant forward again. "Maybe the universe is trying to make a correction. Bring things back into balance. How long have you been here?"

"Um, eight months."

She gave me a little wink. "Is he American, too? How long's he been here?"

"Five years."

"Oh. Not eight." She frowned. "Well that stuffs that theory, then, doesn't it?"

Rachel giggled and I grinned as I took another sip of champagne. As a scientist, and someone whose mother had tried every new-age fad under the sun, I didn't put any credibility in things I couldn't see or prove. And Rachel was much the same, even if she was a hopeless romantic with an over-active imagination.

Marc arrived just as we were finishing our second glasses. He scrubbed up well in his hired tuxedo and offered me his arm as we walked out the door and down the front path.

"Have fun!" Beryl called.

"Text me when you're home." Rachel waved.

Marc grinned and waved back to them. "It's like we're seventeen and going to the school formal, isn't it? Let's relive our youth tonight, yeah?"

A flash of memory - me in blue, my leg in plaster. "No," I said flatly. "Let's not."

-ooo0ooo-

The new wing of the museum was incredible. Glass and steel and wood, it soared high with fabulous exposed gears that could send the ceiling higher, or bring it lower. Or angle it to achieve dramatic, mind blowing effects with the lighting. The way it was doing now.

"How on earth did they do this? It's like an optical illusion."

"It's pretty cool, eh?"

We were surrounded by people dressed like us, sipping champagne, eating finger food provided by smart wait staff with silver trays.

I refused more alcohol, taking instead a mineral water in one hand, and something red on a tiny black biscuit with the other.

"Caviar?" Marc asked.

"I think so."

"You look beautiful, by the way. I meant to say something earlier."

I hadn't blushed for a long time, but I did now. The familiar heat washed over my cheeks. "Thanks. Um, you look good too."

He shrugged. "I'll do."

There was a grinding sound, and everyone looked up as the gears began to work and the angle of the ceiling changed slightly, throwing light in different directions. The display was accompanied by oohs and aahs and a round of applause.

"It's an engineering feat, apparently." Marc pointed to the presentation being projected on the side wall. A logo appeared – Tully & Tomm Engineering – and there was something vaguely familiar about it.

"Ground-breaking…" Marc read. "World first, blah, blah, PR blurb. It is a pretty good roof though."

"It's amazing, it's…fuck…"

I remembered where I'd seen that logo. It was on the business card in Edward's kitchen.

And now the image on the wall had just changed. I was staring at a photo labelled Our Team. Two women. Three men. All in suits.

One of them was Edward.

"You right?" Marc looked concerned. "You've dropped caviar on your dress."

"I…yeah I'm fine." I brushed the caviar away not bothering to check if there was a stain. "Can you get me another drink, please Marc? Water?"

"Sure."

While he went in search of a glass, I kept watch on the wall.

 _Lead Engineer and Project Manager_

 _Edward Masen_

There were pictures of him wearing hard hats on building sites. Sitting at a desk. There was a brief video where he explained the vision for the new wing. My mouth was dry, throat tight. Where was Marc?

"We're going through the slides now. Has anyone seen Edward?"

I turned quickly to see a young woman in blue satin talking into her phone.

"He's supposed to be here. We can't have the speeches without him if he's the one being honoured. Who's the Premier going to thank...did he tell you anything?" There was a pause. I held my breath. Then the woman shook her head. "I spoke to him yesterday and we talked about the running order for tonight and his tuxedo…well, if you see him, call me!"

She ended the call and realised I was watching her. Immediately, she flashed me a professional smile.

"Hi! I'm Sara. I handle PR for Tully and Tomm. Welcome to the museum. What do you think of it?" She looked skyward and so did I.

"Er, it's incredible."

"It is, isn't it?"

"Um…" my mind raced as I wondered what to say next. "I'm sorry but I couldn't help overhearing, you're looking for Edward?"  
Her eyes shot open. "Yes. Edward Masen?" She looked around and then lowered her voice. "Do you know where he is? It's his big night too, he's supposed to be here."

"I…no. No I don't know. I just recognised the name, sorry."

Sara gave me a funny look, which wasn't surprising, and walked off into the crowd.

He wasn't here. I felt a white hot dart of relief, until my mind took me down another path. Marc appeared beside me, holding out a glass.

"For you."

"Thanks. Marc, when you included me as your plus one on the RSVP, did you include my name?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Nothing."

Shit! What if Edward had seen the guest list and deliberately stayed away on his big night, because of me? Or, what if he thought I was stalking him? He probably knew I saw the business card. Shit!

Suddenly the ceiling changed again and there were more gasps. The panels separated, some of them going up, others down, creating a staggered, stepped effect that, with the glass wall at the end, made the ceiling resemble a massive flight of stairs leading to the heavens.

It was actually very beautiful. Though I did begin to wonder about the point of it.

In the corner of the room was a raised platform. A small group had gathered before it, heads bowed, phones out. No doubt trying to locate the errant engineer.

The evening dragged on. Marc talked and I nodded and smiled. At some point I agreed to riding up to the Hunter Valley on the back of his Ducati to check out some wineries. And while I agreed, I kept an eye out for Edward. He never showed. The speeches were made, Edward was praised in absentia, with a simple explanation that he couldn't be there because he was working on other projects. "It's that sort of dedication that has given us this," said the head of his firm, gesturing towards the sky.

It was almost midnight when we finally pulled up out the front of my place. The block was in darkness except for a small dim light in the Mahoney's window upstairs.

I thanked Marc for a great night. He told me it was his pleasure, then surprised me with a quick kiss on the cheek before telling me I looked like I needed some sleep.

He was right. I couldn't wait to fall into my bed, but it would have to wait because, as Marc drove away and I walked up the front path, the sensor light came on over the porch.

And there sat Edward Cullen.

On the top step. Leaning against the wall. He was in a tuxedo, looking rough and dishevelled with the bow tie undone and hanging loose round his neck. The top buttons of his shirt were open. He stood when he saw me, and in the porchlight I could see the apprehension in his eyes. But there was something more. Something I was too scared to acknowledge. He ran a hand through his hair which, from the looks of it, wasn't the first time tonight. Then he put his hands in his trouser pockets, shrugged, and gave me a beautifully crooked smile. If I was expecting flowery declarations or more heartfelt apologies I was wrong. He spoke firmly but simply, just five words that stopped my heart.

"I've come to fight fate."

-ooo0ooo-

 **A/N: Bella's had some questions answered, but she has a lot more to ask** **J**

 **For non-Aussie readers, Gumtree is an Australian version of e-Bay.**

 **Thank you all for the incredible response to this story! I truly have the best readers xxx**

 **And thank you Melanie for giving this the once over. I know you're frantically busy with your own life and your new, upcoming novel, The Contract, and I appreciate you making the time to check over my words. Mwah xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **The formatting went wobbly the first time I posted this chapter, sorry. Lets try again...**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

It became clear to me, as Edward stood smiling in a pool of golden porchlight, that I still loved him. This knowledge didn't come with sparks or fireworks, but more as a slow, gentle, realisation. A quiet acceptance of something I'd always known. Dozens of little things I'd ignored and refused to acknowledge, at last came out of hiding, saying that they'd told me so. But while my heart remembered and told me to go to him, my head held me back.

"I'm…confused. Has the vision changed?"

"No." He shook his head, his expression open and honest as he spoke. "No, Alice called while I was on my way here earlier. It's still as vivid as ever."

But he'd come anyway. He'd come to fight fate. For me.

"What did you tell her? Does she know I'm in Sydney, too?"

Edward exhaled in a long, slow, breath as he took his hands from his pockets and dragged them both through his hair. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, I noticed. Like he hadn't slept. So that made two of us. "She doesn't know you're here," Edward said. "And I told her whatever happened was between you and me. Mostly you. If you'll have me."

It was like being split in two; caught in a tug-of-war as my head took me one way and my heart pulled the other. Right now, my head was winning, telling me to be careful and tossing up painful memories, one after the other. Some as recent as a couple of weeks ago when I stood in his living room by the sea. As the memories came, my heart took a big step back.

"Well, this is a complete one-eighty."

"I know," Edward admitted. "And I also know it might be too little, too late."

"Then why did you come?"

The question seemed to surprise him. His brow creased slightly. "I mean, we said goodbye two weeks ago, Edward. That was it. Done. Over. But now you've changed your mind?" Now you've decided to turn my world upside down _again_. "It doesn't work that way." I took my keys out of Beryl's bag, ignoring the shake in my hands and the edge in my voice. "Are you here to make yourself feel better? Did you expect me to fall into your arms? Or is this about forgiveness? If that's what you want, then okay, I forgive you." I went to move past him, aiming for the front door and almost knocking over the garden gnome that sat on the step. "You know me, I've always been very forgiving."

"That's just it," Edward said quietly, firmly. "I don't know you. I don't know you at all. And you don't know me."

His words stopped me in my tracks, resonating deep within me. My world shifted and spun as a whole new reality began to slowly unfold, bringing with it a spark of hope. I turned to face him, focussing on those green eyes. His gaze was unguarded, his feelings raw and on display as he began to speak.

"Back in Forks…back then, despite my many years I was basically an inexperienced teenage boy who fell in love with an innocent teenage girl. And I've been in love with that girl for eight years, I still am, but I haven't been in love with _you._ I don't know anything about you, or the life you lead. I don't know what career you've chosen, or why. I don't know how you like to spend your Sundays or what makes you laugh or cry. Bella, I don't know you at all." He paused, shrugging and smiling that lopsided smile. "But I'd like to. I'd like to very much. And…I'd like you to get to know me."

It was quite a speech, and my heart gained some traction in my internal tug-of-war.

I studied the keys in my hand, rubbing my thumb back and forth over the little glass penguin that acted as a key tag.

"Who knows?" He gave a soft, self-conscious, laugh. "We might find out we don't like each other."

"We might," I murmured. And wouldn't that make life easier. "I already know you snore. Who knows what other annoying habits you have?"

"I don't snore."

"I heard you."

"When you were trespassing in my house?"

I looked up and caught the teasing glint in his eye. "Yeah." I smirked. "Then."

My gaze wandered, taking in his broad shoulders and the stubble on his chin. There were tiny lines at the corners of his eyes, little creases that crinkled when he smiled or frowned. I thought of the surfboard on his front porch, and the piano he was selling. The people at the museum who spoke his name with familiarity and a hint of frustration. He lived in a different world now. I was in love with a memory, too. Did I want to risk the reality?

"What happens when the next vision comes, Edward? Do you leave again, for my own good? Maybe shut me away out of harm's reach? Or will you keep a direct line open to Alice, checking for hourly updates? I'm guessing she's still a va…" Just in time, I stopped myself, aware of the Maloney's glowing bedroom light and open window just above. "Er, vegetarian. I'm guessing she's still a vegetarian, if she can see these things?"

"They all are." Edward paused. "Except Rose and Emmett. They're like me."

"Oh…" It was more than information than I'd expected, and there was something in the way he had spoken, a flatness in his tone that made me think it had just cost him something to reveal it. But truth be told, I wasn't that surprised. Being a vampire was not something Rosalie would have chosen for herself, she'd always made that clear. And if Rosalie had made the change, Emmett would have followed soon after. I wondered why the others hadn't, and would Edward tell me if I asked? But this wasn't the time and I had other things to deal with right now. The thought of Alice keeping watch on my life made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"I couldn't live with a vision hanging over me, Edward. I couldn't live with Alice tuned into my every move like some sort of supernatural CCTV. And I couldn't be with someone who was always waiting for a disaster to happen. Freaking out every time I left the house, or keeping things from me because of some misguided idea that it was best if I didn't know what was going on."

"I don't want that either. For you or me. I've had enough of the fear and the secrets." There was conviction in his voice; a deep rumbling certainty that left me with no doubt that he meant what he said. For now, at least.

From above came the faint sound of running water, and laughter. The Maloney's had obviously decided on a midnight soak in the new spa bath. A breeze blew in, tossing some fallen leaves around our feet and making me shiver. A warm bath would be kind of nice, right now. "We should probably continue this inside," I said, and moved past Edward to the front door.

As I went to walk inside, I felt a faint tug behind me and turned to see the train of my dress snagged on the garden gnome and Edward crouched down, on bended knee, untangling it for me, brow creased in concentration. When the fabric was free, he stood up, holding the hem carefully in his hand. "You walk," he said roughly. "I'll follow."

Our procession was only a few short steps, but I was so acutely of Edward behind me. As though the heat from his hands travelled through the flimsy material to my body.

Through the entry hall, I stopped at my door, turned the key and opened my life to Edward Masen.

"This is me," I said.

It felt beyond strange to have him in my small flat, allowing him to see the intimate details of my life; the prints on my walls, my brand of coffee on the kitchen bench, the photos on my shelves. The standing lamp in the corner bathed everything in a soft glow. I looked over my shoulder at Edward as he slowly opened his hand and gently let go of my dress, and the chiffon fluttered and pooled delicately around my feet while both of us watched.

"Thanks," I whispered.

He cleared his throat. "No problem."

I flicked on the main overhead light and blinked as it lit up the room. Away from the moody mix of moon and porchlight, things shifted from being charged and emotional to simply awkward. Edward stood politely by the living room door and when I suggested he take off his jacket and have a seat he asked to use the bathroom instead.

"If you don't mind," he said. "One of the drawbacks of being human."

His request really threw me, and for a second all I could do was stare. "Huh? Oh, sure, of course, um, down the hall, on the left. And, er, while you're…I'll just, I'll get changed, back in a sec."

For some reason it was hard to get my head around Edward needing the bathroom. Out of everything I'd seen and learned since discovering him sprawled across that bed, his being human really hit home as I watched him disappear behind the bathroom door.

"Wow," I whispered. "This is really real." Not that I hadn't known that, but the situation had been kind of surreal, and that surrealism had suddenly evaporated. Especially when I remembered my _Silky Smooth Lady Razor_ was sitting on the vanity alongside a box of tampons. And my favourite dressing gown was hanging over the towel rail. A far cry from champagne chiffon, it was pink and fluffy with Snoopy on the back and old red wine stains down the front. I cringed a little. "Oh, the romance…"

Well, he said he wanted to get to know me.

I went to quickly change into track pants and a sweater. The new ones I'd only worn once and hadn't spilled anything on. Without Rachel to help me, and my mind completely unfocussed and elsewhere, it was a bit of an ordeal getting out of the dress. Twice I got tangled in the train. The first time I stumbled into the dressing table, sending books and brushes and candles tumbling to the floor. The second time I stubbed my toe against the end of the bed and nearly cried with the pain. I swore hard, and began to wonder if it was going to be possible to get undressed without trashing the room or breaking a limb. But eventually I made it into my comfy clothes and walked back into the living room like nothing had happened; the limp barely noticeable, I was sure.

Edward was sitting on the sofa, suit jacket draped neatly over the back, bow tie sticking out of his trouser pocket. There were a set of keys on the coffee table. The silver ring held a red and white membership tag for the Sydney Swans. So Edward liked Aussie Rules? I didn't understand the game, myself.

"You missed your big night," I said as I curled up in the armchair. My throbbing toe and I needed a break from the heavy conversation on the doorstep.

"My big night?" Edward seemed puzzled.

"The museum. The launch of the new wing."

"How did you know…" His eyes widened and went straight to my up-do, which wasn't quite so up anymore after the debacle in the bedroom. "You were _there_?"

"You didn't know I was going to the launch?"

"Why would I know?"

"I was on the guest list. I thought you must have seen my name, and, um, that's why you didn't show."

"To avoid you? No." Edward shook his head. "I don't see guest lists, I don't have any part in the organising," he said. "What were you doing there?" His eyes went again to my glamorous hair. "It was obvious you'd been somewhere special but I thought…maybe a wedding…I never considered…"

"I went with a friend. I was his plus one."

"The archaeologist?" I nodded and a soft frown creased Edward's brow. "Did you know I was supposed to be there?" he asked.

"Not until I saw you in the slide show."

"Oh God," he groaned a laugh and his head fell back on his shoulders and the sudden shift in mood surprised and delighted me. "They still went with the slideshow? I told them last week it was a ridiculous idea. It's not a 21st or a silver wedding anniversary." There was genuine frustration in his voice and I couldn't help smile.

"Well, if you're not involved with the organising why should they listen to your complaints about it?"

Edward brought his head forward again and gave me a narrow stare. "True," he said. "Was I wearing a hard hat?"

"Yep. Yellow one." He groaned again, without the laugh this time, and I giggled. "And there was one of you sitting at a desk looking very serious while you stared at a laptop. Actually, you were scowling. The view behind you was nice though, looking over the city. Was that your office?"

He nodded. "Yes," he said. "That was my office. It was our PR firm's idea."

"And the scowl?"

"That was mine."

I laughed and so did he. "They wanted to take more photos; me standing at the window, leaning in the doorway, talking to my assistant…"

"You refused?"

"Very politely."

I could just imagine.

Edward crossed one leg over the other and I noticed the dusting of fine white hairs on the hem of his trousers. The Maloney's cat had paid him a visit, then. Suddenly, this felt nice. This felt _easy_. And natural. Like a good friend had come to visit. But that brought me to another question, and the easy feeling faded fast.

"Edward, how did you know where I live?" Oh my God, had he been stalking me? Did he follow me home from Palm Beach? If he'd gone to Thunder Road to track down Marc for information I was sure my friend would have told me. My stomach knotted as my mind raced with unsettling possibilities.

"Phone directory," he said simply. "Your keys were on the coffee table at my place, and there was a membership tag for a gym in Balmain. I searched the White Pages for Isabella Swan, Balmain. There was only one and I took a punt."

Thank goodness for the White Pages and simple, honest, explanations. This wasn't too stalker-y and it was staggering just how relieved I felt.

"You took a _punt_?" I said, smirking. "You _have_ lived here a while, haven't you?"

"Long enough to pick up the language." He smiled and I smiled back.

"So, if you weren't at the launch, where were you all evening?"

"Er, here." He looked as confused as I felt.

"Here? The _whole_ evening? You spent, like, _five hours_ on my doorstep? Waiting for me?" So he could tell me he'd come to fight for me? When he nodded slowly, green eyes blazing beneath dark lashes, my heart fluttered and sighed.

No wonder he needed the bathroom.

"I wasn't sure what else to do," he said. "I could have called the number in the directory but I didn't want to have the conversation on the phone, and you might hang up. I thought if I saw you in person, I might stand a better chance." He rolled his shoulders slowly backwards, as though trying to ease some great burden. "I've thought of nothing except you since you walked out my front door," he continued. "But I only looked you up this morning. Then I debated with myself all day. It was a massive risk, my coming here."

"Because of the vision?"

"No. Because of what you might think of me."

Oh! I had the sudden urge to pull him into my arms and hold him, but I curled my legs tighter and hugged my knees instead.

"You say I know nothing about you now, and you're right, I don't. Everything's different. _You're_ different. But one thing _is_ the same. The guy who left me in the woods is the same guy who couldn't wait for me to leave his house two weeks ago. So why the change now? Why tonight?"

For a moment, I thought I saw a shudder run through him, but it might have just looked that way as he shifted on the sofa, leaning forward, hands clasped between his knees.

"I've spent years looking at everything wrong and I only realised that a few hours ago, while I was driving to the museum." He spoke quietly, almost to himself, it seemed. "I was going to go through Chatswood into the city, but then I changed my mind and decided to go via Mosman instead. A truck cut me off on the approach to The Spit bridge and I just missed wrapping my car around a power pole." He glanced down at the floor while I swallowed a soft gasp and my eyes ran over him in quick assessment. "There was no harm done," he said. "I drove away fine, but my point is, anything can happen. To anyone. Humans go their whole lives not knowing what's around the next corner." He lifted his gaze to mine. "Things change. People make decisions every day, little things that alter their fates in ways they can't know. And maybe Alice's vision hasn't changed, because I haven't." He let go a long breath. "That vision is not your only future, Bella."

This definitely wasn't the Edward I was used to. But then, he wasn't _that_ Edward, was he? The thought of getting to know Edward Masen was becoming more tempting. But I was still unsure. I hugged my knees a little tighter.

"I don't know, Edward." Could he really change the behaviour of a lifetime so suddenly? Although, wasn't that what an epiphany was? A sudden realisation? A breakthrough? And while it all might have been sudden for Edward, for me, eight years of hurt weren't going to disappear so quickly. "I'm going to need time."

"Of course," he said quickly. "I've given you a lot to think about, I know." He rubbed his palms back and forth over his thighs. "I didn't expect you to decide…I didn't expect anything." He stood then and grabbed his suit jacket. "I've kept you up late, I'm sorry."

"Um, no, it's fine." I stood up too, feeling unsure of what to say, or do. He obviously wanted to leave. Fast. "Just be careful driving home, okay?"

He nodded, and offered me a wistful sort of smile. "I will. And, whatever you decide…if you ever need anything…" He left the sentence hanging. "Goodnight, Bella."

He slung his jacket over his shoulder and turned to go and I realised I didn't want this to be goodbye. Because that's what it sounded like. He _was_ expecting something, after all. He was expecting me to say no.

"Edward?" He turned back, one brow arched in question.

"Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs in bed. With a good book. And music."

He frowned. "Sorry?"

"It's how I spend my Sundays. Well, the mornings, anyway."

"Oh. I see." The smile that curved his lips was slow and sweet as he dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I'll remember that," he said, and then he was gone.

As tired as I was, I didn't head straight for bed. I spent the next little while sitting in my chair, staring at the sofa where Edward had sat. I went over every word he'd said, every nuance of voice and movement. He was sincere, that was clear. And he was right in what he said. Life was a risk.

Maybe we _could_ get to know each other.

My mind went back to that early morning on a beach in Mexico, waiting for the sunrise with Angela and Ben and Jessica. An end-of-school vacation before we all went off to college. I'd been kind of ambivalent about the trip at first, agreeing to go because, well, what else would I do? But that first faint shimmer of light breaking through the inky sky had been incredibly beautiful, and suddenly I hadn't wanted to be anywhere else, or doing anything else. We'd all cheered, as if the new day had dawned just for us. Ribbons of pale gold and pink reached out over the water, waking the sea, and we'd taken photos and laughed and toasted each other, and our futures, with bottles of soda. It hadn't been until we'd got back to the hotel that I'd realised I hadn't thought of Edward once since that first glimmer of light appeared. I had enjoyed the sunrise for myself. I hadn't wished he was there, or wondered what he was doing.

The revelation had been breathtaking. And though it had been a very small first step in a long journey, that was the moment I'd realised there was life after Edward Cullen. And that life could be a good one.

I picked at the arm of the chair, plucking at the fabric. Edward had said we never knew what was going to happen next. And he was right. Because ten minutes later the Maloney's overflowing spa bath fell through my bathroom ceiling.

-ooo0ooo-

 **A/N: Quick translations: "take a punt" = take a chance Aussie Rules = AFL football**

 **Next chapter: Soon! I split this chapter in two because it seemed to flow better that way. The next chapter will be up tomorrow.**

 **Thank you all for the amazing response to the last chapter, and to the story in general. I really do have the best readers and I appreciate all the reviews and comments more than I can say. Thank you.**

 **I've had lots of questions about Edward and the Cullens and Alice's visions and I promise, they'll all be answered. Honest xx**

 **And thank you Melanie! You're a star as always and I'm grateful for those speedy beta skills, and your friendship xx (I changed a few things after beta'ing, so any mistakes are mine).**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-o0o-**

 **Later that night, on Edward's back deck**

 **Edward's point of view…**

It was almost 2am when Edward walked through his front door. He threw his jacket over the armchair, tossed his keys on the kitchen bench, and grabbed the bottle of Glenfiddich. He splashed two fingers of the whisky into a glass. Then he opened the sliding doors and stepped onto the deck.

The cold sea air hit him in the face and he breathed deeply.

It had been a long, long, night. The past two weeks had felt like eternity. And Edward knew what eternity felt like.

He swirled the whisky round, studying its amber depths before tossing it back, welcoming the burn as it went down. He wasn't a big drinker. He usually kept the spirits for cold nights in front of a fire, but after tonight, he needed something strong.

Edward leant against the deck railing and looked out along the beach, up to the headland where the lighthouse shone a steady silver beam into the dark while black waves crashed and thundered onto the rocks below. Calm and chaos. Just like him.

He'd told Bella he would fight fate for her. And he would. But that meant fighting his own demons as well. And Edward had plenty of them.

For almost eight years he'd been in conflict. A real, human, man who could give Bella a real life, home and family. Except that life could be cut short. Because of him. He would always be a risk.

The knowledge that his love could kill her, almost killed him.

He rubbed at his chest, trying to ease the heaviness that had made its home there since Bella's goodbye two weeks before. Two weeks of no sleep and midnight runs along the beach while he wrestled with his conscious and told himself his heart-tearing agony was nothing if it meant Bella's safety.

Tonight a Unicorn Removals and Storage truck had changed all that. A near-miss that crushed the rear-quarter panel of his car and made him realise that life was a risk, every day, for everyone. Even Bella. The revelation had ironically sent his heart soaring and he'd driven straight to her home, his car limping along with its tail light hanging loose. Even Alice's urgent call hadn't deterred him.

"You can't contact her!" She'd yelled down the phone. "You don't know what it could mean!"

"It means Bella has a choice, Alice!" He'd yelled back. "She has a fucking choice."

Something she'd never had before. And he knew she might choose to say no, but he'd wanted to give her the chance. And he had. In five simple words. She already knew he loved her, but as she'd walked up her front path, looking impossibly beautiful in the moonlight, he'd offered her the most precious thing he had.

He offered her his own fate.

He offered her his heart and his _soul_.

"And now we wait," he murmured and finished his whiskey. He balanced the glass precariously on the tubular hand rail, ready to grab it back should it start to fall, and thought about free will. True love, Edward decided, was about giving up control.

 _Would Bella like it here?_ he wondered. He imagined walking with her along the sand. Late night swims on calm nights. Summers on the deck and winters curled up together in his bed, watching a wild sea through the windows while the wind roared.

"You're getting way ahead of yourself," he murmured. It probably wasn't a good idea to hope too much; he already knew he had a long way to fall if Bella did say no. Her parting words had given him a small spark of hope, though, even if he'd sensed in her a conflict that was almost as great as his own had been.

The wind got stronger and Edward shivered a little. He didn't usually feel the cold, one of the many, subtle, left-overs from his previous life, so maybe it was his mood that gave him goose bumps. He thought vaguely about going inside, but did nothing about it. He stayed perfectly still, deep in thought, until his phone vibrated in his pocket. He expected it to be Alice again, and was surprised when Emmett's name flashed up on the screen.

"Em? Shit!" He'd knocked the glass over, sending it tumbling into the bushes below. He'd have to forage around in the scrub tomorrow to find it.

"What's going on?" Emmett yawned. "You okay? Alice says you've gone off the rails again."

"What?"

"I don't know. I was half asleep when she called. Something about Bella? And wanting me to talk sense to you?" He yawned again. "I'm guessing you're doing your _'gotta find Bella'_ thing again and Alice is seeing flames. Am I right?"

Edward pulled up a chair from the outdoor setting, kicked off his shoes, and sat down "Not quite. Bella's here in Sydney. She found me a couple of weeks ago."

There was silence, then, "Wow..."

Edward gave a wry laugh. "Yeah. Wow. You awake now?"

"Almost. Hang on, I'm just going into the living room so I don't wake Rose…okay…go ahead."

While the past two weeks had seemed like a lifetime, it took barely a moment for Edward to give Emmett the most basic of run-downs, covering Bella's unexpected appearance in his house, and his epiphany with the truck tonight.

"Jeez, Edward, I mean…that must've been a helluva shock, her turning up like that out of the blue."

"Yeah, shock is one word for it."

It had been like all his dreams and nightmares had collided at once. Standing in the hallway, seeing her turn to face him, his legs had almost given out and he hadn't known whether to crush her to his bare chest and never let her go, or yell at her to get out while she still could. Joy and fear clashed with pain and confusion. Why was she here? What did she want? And she wasn't wearing the ring that had been on her finger five years ago, so what the fuck did that mean? It had taken some time for him to pull himself together and think. In his ensuite bathroom he'd stood under the pounding shower, fists clenched, hoping the cold water would bring some clarity and calm his mind. It didn't. His fears for her still eclipsed everything else; the violent fiery vision staying at the forefront of his mind.

"What did you do?" Emmett asked.

"I behaved like a bastard. Tried to freeze her out." To Edward's surprise, Emmett laughed.

"I'm sure you did, Mr Freeze. You do bastard well, bro, I've seen you. But let me guess, Bella called you out this time, right?"

Edward frowned. "How did you…"

"Because, from what I remember of her, she's pretty gutsy, and I don't think she'd take that crap from you twice. So what happened then?"

"I told her I loved her."

"What did she say?"

"Goodbye."

Emmett sighed heavily. "Could you blame her?"  
"No."

It had nearly ended him, watching her walk away; a soul-deep pain worse than the burn of his first change or the bone-breaking agony of the second. A silent tear had spilled onto his cheek as the front door closed behind her. As the sound of her footsteps had grown fainter, he'd put his fist through the glass-top coffee table.

"And now you've realised you've been an idiot and Bella could walk under a bus tomorrow with no help from you."  
Edward winced at his brother's words, but they were true enough.

"Yeah, but let's not say it that way, huh?"

"You gonna try again with her?"

"I'd like to. It's all up to Bella." He told his brother only a little about his late night visit to Bella's flat, summing it up simply with his suggestion that they get to know each other. He didn't mention the part about waiting for five hours on her doorstep, and the silent conversations he'd had with a fluffy white cat and a concrete garden gnome he'd named Greg. Neither of them had been much help, anyway.

"There's a lot to work through." Edward sighed, kicking back in the chair and staring up at the sky. "Do you ever miss it, Em?"

There was a moment's pause. "Honestly? No, I don't. Not with what I've got now, with Rose and the kids. I mean, you know, the speed and the strength were good, but man, I love being human." Edward could hear the smile in his brother's voice, and it made him smile, too.

"How's number three coming along?"

"Kicking like a demon," Emmett chuckled. "Rose swears this one's wearing football boots. Hey, you'll be up next month for Hannah's birthday, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Edward grinned. "Turning six is a big deal. Is she excited?"

"That's putting it mildly. She's designed her own birthday cake and Rose is trying to figure out how to make it work because the original plan kind of defies gravity."

"Does it involve a flying dragon?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," Emmett chuckled. "Of course it does. Oh, and Max has made you another toilet-roll-dinosaur for your collection. It's here on the book shelf waiting for you."

"Tell him I can't wait to see it."

"Hang on…" Edward waited, listening to the faint sounds of movement. "There. I just took a picture with Rose's phone and sent it to you. He's getting better with them, this one even has a neck."

Rose and Emmett's home in the Gold Coast hinterland was a little oasis for Edward; somewhere to escape to from his busy corporate life. Their five acres was only a nine hour drive away and Edward got up there to see his extended family as often as he could; he loved spending time with his niece and nephew. There were times when he'd imagine having a family of his own, with birthdays and Christmases and tree houses and finger painting, and tonight, in a small corner of his mind, he wondered if he could have that life with Bella. But he shut the thought down fast. It was way, way too soon.

"I, er, I told her about you and Rose," Edward said. "I didn't mention the kids. I won't until I know where this is going." He waited for his brother's response, not sure what to expect.

"Yeah, that's fine," Emmett said after a moment. "All good. It's not like we're in witness protection."

Edward could understand Rose and Emmett's caution, though. After a run-in with a curious vampire in Toronto, he would have packed up and moved his human family to a sunny place on the other side of the world, too.

"So, do _you_ ever miss it?" Emmett asked quietly.

"No," Edward shook his head. "No, I'd never want to go back. But…" He paused and Emmett prompted him gently.

"I'm listening, bro."

"Do you ever worry about protecting them? Rose and Hannah and Max?"

"You mean now that I'm not an apex predator with super powers? Sure. Every second of every day. And then I think how lucky I am to have family to worry about."

Edward nodded, though he knew Emmett couldn't see.

"I know what you mean, though," Emmett continued. "But after Toronto I decided I could either drive myself nuts worrying, or I could enjoy what I've got. No contest. And most humans do make it through, you know." He paused. "You thinking about the time you got mugged?"

" _Almost_ mugged." The memory of that night still made Edward see red. Without realising, he curled his free hand into a fist. What if Bella had been with him then? How could he have protected her against a gun? His silence told Emmett all he needed to know.

"Yeah, I hear you," Emmett said quietly. "So, um, I'm guessing Bella's single?" He changed the subject.

"She hasn't said otherwise." And Edward was pretty certain that she would have, especially two weeks ago when he'd behaved like such a prick. Or tonight while he sat in her flat, talking about the possibility of getting to know each other. So yeah, she was single. It hadn't always been the case though.

He'd tracked her down once. Just to see what she was doing. See if she was okay. A Facebook search had given him a small glimpse into her life. She didn't post much at all, but what she did told him a lot. She had someone. And he'd spent Christmas with her in Forks and New Years in Florida. He was tall and dark and obviously important enough to take home for the holidays. And there had been a ring on her finger back then.

She'd moved on.

Two days later he'd applied for an Australian visa. He never tried to find her again.

"Maxy's calling out," Emmett interrupted Edward's thoughts. "You okay if I go? I can call you back when I've got him sorted."

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though, Em."

"No probs. Hey, before I go, what's Bella's hair look like in the vision?" Emmett's voice was suddenly animated. "Can you remember?"

"Er…" Edward didn't like to think of the image he'd seen in Alice's mind. If he was honest, his focus had always been the sheer screaming terror on her face, not her hairstyle, and he had no idea where Emmett was going with this. "It's long. Down near her waist, I think."

"How long is it now?"

"Just past her shoulders."

"Then maybe she could keep it that way!" Emmett was triumphant. "If her hair's short, the vision won't happen. Simple! Problem solved."

The line went silent and Edward stared, blinking at the phone in his hand, wondering if Emmett had a point, and wishing he could see life the way his brother did. Maybe he should try. It had worked for Emmett so far.

Edward was smiling at the photo of Max's dinosaur, when a new call came through. This time it _was_ Alice.

"Edward, don't hang up, just listen to me…"

"Okay, I'll listen, but first tell me Alice, where were your visions when a truck nearly wiped me out tonight?"

"What?"

Edward closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and spoke again. "Tonight, I changed my mind about where I was driving and I nearly wrapped my car around a power pole. A heads-up would have been nice."

"Oh my God!"  
"You didn't see it, did you?"

"No. No, I would have called. Are you alright?"  
"I'm fine." He opened his eyes.

"Edward, I…"

"You misinterpreted the vision of Bella jumping off that cliff back in Forks." He didn't remind of her the consequences that had almost come from that.

"I…I know I did…"  
"And you saw her with red eyes once, remember? That never happened."

"Things change! You know that! New decisions were made that altered…"

"Exactly!" he snapped. "New decisions. Things change. Bella never got the chance to decide if she wanted a human life with me." He grimaced. " _I_ never gave her the chance."

There was silence at the end of the phone. "I love her too," Alice whispered.

Edward gave an exasperated sigh. "I know."

"I don't want you to have to live with what might happen."

"I know that too," he said softly.

"The doors are back." she said. "Remember?"

"I remember." That vision had come during his change. Before he'd understood what was happening to him. Before the vision of Bella. A long, endless, hallway, lined with doors either side. And him, standing there in the middle.

"It came about an hour ago," Alice said. "I don't know if it's connected to Bella. I don't know what any of it means."

This was the problem with Alice's visions. Some were clear and obvious and set in real time. Some, not so much.

"You don't have to know what it means," Edward said kindly.

"I feel responsible."

"Don't. You've given me the information, it's up to me what I do with it."

"You and Bella?"

"Yes."

"Have…have you found her?"

Edward was tempted to ask why she hadn't seen Bella's arrival in his life, but didn't. "I've found her," he said, and left it at that. Alice didn't ask for details.

"Will you tell her I miss her?"

"If we get that far."

When Edward had said goodnight to his sister he folded his arms on the table in front of him and dropped his head onto them. He wondered what Bella was doing now. Sleeping? Thinking? Would she contact him tomorrow? The next day? Would she contact him at all? He hadn't given her his number; it would have seemed pushy, he thought, to give her so much to think about, and then present her with his contact details. She knew where he lived, and where he worked. His number was in the database at Thunder Road so she might have it already, for all he knew. And he didn't know much. Except that he loved her.

He closed his eyes and remembered how she'd looked tonight. So beautiful. That moment in her hall, when he'd been holding her dress, had been incredible. The simple act had felt so intimate to Edward. As intimate as if he'd caressed the bare skin of her shoulder.

"Enough," he said and stood up. He wasn't doing himself any favours by letting his thoughts wander down that path.

He should really eat something. Have a shower and sleep. That's what he should do. Instead, he took the stairs from the deck to the sand two at a time, stripped off his clothes at the water's edge, and strode naked into the surf.

-ooo0ooo-

There was no word from Bella on Sunday, although Rosalie sent him a text.

 _We want you happy. If Bella's the one and she's crazy enough to have you, go for it._

The message was welcome, though he wondered if he'd ever get the chance to go for it.

Monday came and went. So did Tuesday. On Wednesday he began to consider the possibility that he mightn't be as attractive to Bella as a human, as he had been as a vampire.

On Thursday, Edward was sitting in a boardroom, listening to a presentation by the new head of marketing and PR, when his assistant Tracey interrupted. His heart sped up as she walked straight across the room to him and whispered, "That important call you've been waiting on? She's on your direct line now."

In his haste to leave the room, Edward nearly over-turned his chair.

"Excuse me," he said, ignoring the surprised looks and offering no further explanation.

The boardrooms were on the first floor. Edward's office was on the eighth. The lift was taking too long so he ran up the stairwell, two steps at a time, until he burst through the door onto the eighth floor. He slowed his pace as he hit the grey-flecked carpet and walked past the rows of cubicles to his office in the corner. He shut the door, took a second to catch his breath, and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi." Bella's voice came down the line and it was the sweetest sound Edward had ever heard. "Have I called at a bad time?"

"No, not at all."

"You sound kind of breathless."

Edward swallowed. "No, I'm good. How are you?"

"Fine."

Silence.

Edward realised he was still standing, and sat on the corner of his desk, staring out at the city skyline, trying to think what to say next that wouldn't sound desperate.

"How's your week been?" He shook his head, so lame.

"Interesting," Bella answered. "The neighbours' spa bath fell through my bathroom ceiling."

"What?" Edward was on his feet. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, but my flat's been trashed. Well, half of it, anyway."

"Did you say spa bath?" Already, Edward was putting the pieces together. "One of those big ones?"

"Uh huh."

He grimaced and rubbed his hand over his face. "Do you know how much water those things hold? An old building like yours isn't designed to take a weight like that!"

"Yeah, I found that out."

Edward was pacing now, back and forth in front of the windows, going as far as the phone cord would let him. "Didn't they get it checked out before they installed it? They should have had an engineer's report. That whole floor would have needed reinforcing…"

"Edward…"

He stopped pacing. "Yes?"

"It's too late for that now. Their floor is in my bathroom."

He chuckled softly and sat back on the desk. "You sure you're okay? Where are you living?" His spare room was at her disposal, but would it seem too forward to offer it? He didn't even know for sure if she wanted to see him again, let alone move in.

"Yeah, I'm okay. And I've moved in with my friend Rachel for a few weeks while the repairs are done."

Oh. So she had somewhere to stay. "How long will the repairs take?"

Bella sighed. "Could be a month or more by the time it's all done. Seems like a long time."

Edward disagreed. The effects of the collapse would have gone further than just the two bathrooms. The whole floor between upstairs and down could have been destabilised, walls too, and it would all need to be inspected for weakness and properly reinforced.

"So," said Bella, breaking into his thoughts and Edward got the feeling she didn't want to talk about the bathroom anymore. "I was wondering if you'd like to get together and talk sometime. For coffee. Or lunch?"

All thoughts of reinforcing steel and I-beams fled Edward's mind. Had Bella just asked him out? He replayed her words, and it seemed that yes, she had. He grinned, and loosened his tie as he sat down in the leather desk chair. "Sounds good. Are you free Sunday?" She hesitated and Edward's heart tightened. Too soon. Sunday was too soon. "Or some other time," he said.

"No, I could do Sunday. I was going to the Hunter Valley with some friends but it was cancelled."

"Was it Jazz in the Vineyard?" He'd seen it advertised. When Bella said yes, he took a deep breath, and jumped in with both feet. "Would you still like to go?" He rolled a pen back and forth while he waited for her answer. Beneath the desk his leg was bouncing up and down anxiously. It was a big leap from coffee to a day in the Hunter.

"With you?" she asked.

"With me. If you'd like. But I understand if you…"

"No, I'd like that," she said. "Um, do you drink wine?"  
"Sometimes."

There was a new silence. "I have a lot of questions," she said, her voice thoughtful.

"I'd be surprised if you didn't." He started doodling on the mouse mat. A tiny wine bottle in blue ink. "You can ask me anything." His life would be an open book for her. No secrets.

"Edward?" she whispered.

"Yes?"  
"What do you do on Sunday mornings?"

Edward grinned hugely. He felt himself relax, not realising how tense he'd been as he pushed back from the desk, spun round in the chair, and looked out at the city again. "I play the guitar in bed," he whispered back.

"Oh?" He could hear the smile in her voice. "I'll remember that," she said and his heart stuttered in his chest.

"Bella?" he whispered.

"Yes?"

"What do you do for work?"

She burst out laughing and he was grinning again. "I thought you'd never ask. I'm researching blue-green algae at Sydney Uni. I'm a marine biologist."

"Oh." Edward wasn't sure why he was so surprised, but he was. .

"You didn't expect that?" Bella asked.

"I guess I'm remembering _Wuthering Heights._ I thought maybe English Lit. Writing. Teaching."

"Nah, you know where you are with microbes."

"True," Edward agreed, but her answer had made him realise he had so much to learn.

"So I'll see you Sunday?" Bella said.

"You will."

Arrangements were made, details confirmed, and Edward hung up feeling like the king of the world.

He had a chance with Bella.

-ooo0ooo-

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and messages on the last chapter. Your comments have truly blown me away xx**

 **This chapter is mostly unbeta'd. I've checked and re-checked, but any mistakes are mine.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

As soon as I hung up from my call with Edward, I had second thoughts. Not about seeing him, but about going to the winery. The Hunter Valley was at least a ninety minute drive away. Longer for Edward as he'd insisted on driving halfway across Sydney to pick me up before we even headed out of town.

That was a lot of time for an awkward silence, or a bank-breaking taxi ride home, if things didn't go well between us. Not that I was expecting trouble, but still…

My phone sat in front of me on the lab table, in between the microscope and a pair of petri dishes, and I stared at it, thinking.

This was about Edward and me getting to know each other. It was essentially a first date. And normally I would meet a first date at whatever café or restaurant we'd agreed on. I'd never drive nearly two hours up the coast with him in his car. So why had I agreed to it just now?

"Because it's Edward," I mumbled. And if I was honest, the thought of spending a Sunday with him, listening to jazz and drinking wine in a vineyard, was appealing.

Except I didn't know who Edward was. What if he was into big game hunting now? What if he bit his fingernails? Or chewed with his mouth open? Oh my God, what if he belonged to some weird religious cult and wanted to recruit me? I'd been on one of those dates, before.

My imagination was running away with me now, and even though I couldn't really see any of those scenarios happening, it still didn't seem like the smartest idea for either of us to be shut up together, unable to politely and easily get away should the need arise. My decision to meet him hadn't been made lightly. Even with all the bathroom drama going on, I'd spent hours going back and forth about him until I'd given myself emotional whiplash. So it probably wasn't a good idea to push things too far, too soon.

I reached for the phone, and redialled.

"Edward Masen's office, can I help you?"

"Hi. It's Bella Swan. Again. Is Mr Masen available?"

There was a pause, and when the PA spoke I could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm sure he is. One moment, please."

There was hold-music, and then a second later, Edward.

"Bella?"

"Hi. Me again." I chewed on my lip, wondering about the best way to word this, so that it didn't sound like I expected the worst, or thought he was some weirdo. I should have thought it through a little more before I called.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, voice full of quiet concern.

"Yeah, good. Fine. I was just thinking, about Sunday…um…" I pushed at the petri dish on the left, turning it round and round.

"It's okay," he said gently. "If you don't want…"

"No, I do. I do want. I was only…"

"Will you excuse me for a moment, please?" His voice suddenly took on a more formal tone, there were others talking in the background, and I realised this must be Edward in business mode. I thought he might put me on hold, but he didn't. I could hear him faintly, as though his hand was covering the mouth-piece… _"Whose idea was it to bring the meeting forward?"_ I couldn't make out the reply, but I heard Edward's response. _"No. I can't come now. Tell Eric I'll be there when I've finished this call."_ Then he came back to me. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I'm keeping you from something, though."

"They can wait."

I couldn't explain why those three words meant so much, but they did. Maybe it was the casual, matter-of-fact way he said them, like saying goodbye hadn't even crossed his mind. Like he wasn't making a point of putting me first; he just was. Whatever the reason, it made me smile.

"Who's Eric?"

"The CEO. But I interrupted you, sorry. What were you going to say?"

"Oh, it's just about Sunday…"

"You'd like to meet somewhere else? We can meet up for coffee if you'd prefer."

It was like he'd read my mind. Almost. A relieved smile curved my lips. "Not quite. I'd still like to go to the vineyard, but I was thinking I might meet you up there. At the winery. It might be easier, in case, you know, you want to get away fast when I pull out a selfie stick and take photos of my food." I gave one of those nervous little laughs that's all about awkward rather than humour.

There was a soft chuckle from Edward. "I get it," he said, and I had the feeling he really did. "But if I could make a suggestion?"

"Mm?"

There was a pause, and I got the sense that he might be feeling some awkward all of his own. "It's a long way to drive alone, so, what about the train? The winery has shuttles to and from the station, we could meet up there, and if you pull out that selfie-stick I can be on the Express back to Sydney before you've posted on Instagram. And if you don't, well, we could always get the train home together. If you wanted."

The smile on my face got wider, as I pushed the petri dish back and forth. "Sounds like a plan."

"Okay, good," he said, and I thought there was a faint trace of relief in his voice. "Noon at the cellar door?"

"I'll be there. With my selfie-stick."

There was laughter, and then Edward said, with a faint note of caution in his voice, "You don't actually do that, do you?"

-ooo0ooo-

On the way back to Rachel's after work, I called in at Balmain to check my letterbox. I hadn't been back since Sunday and it was a shock to see the small block of flats that was my home, all empty and roped off with yellow tape that screamed "DANGER" in big black letters and scaffolding up the sides. Beryl was gone, staying with her son. The Maloney's cat was nowhere to be seen, his water bowl gone from its place on the bottom step. My letterbox was empty, not even a flyer for dry cleaning or pizza deliveries. Inside, my flat had been emptied of my few personal possessions. I'd packed up the clothes, books, photos and knick-knacks on Sunday, under the careful supervision of an emergency response crew. The bags and boxes now sat in Rachel's spare room. It was almost as if the last eight months hadn't happened. Like I'd never lived here. It was a strange, unsettling feeling and for some reason I began to wonder if I'd ever live here again.

I was probably just tired.

I was about to turn away when I noticed the garden gnome had been knocked off the porch. He lay on his back in the rockery beneath my living room window and I smiled a little as I thought of Edward last Saturday night, crouched down, carefully unsnagging my dress. It had almost seemed like the two of them were in secret conversation.

A second later I scrambled under the yellow tape, picked up the little gnome and set him safely out of the way between two shrubs.

"You look after the place," I whispered. "Until I come back."

-ooo0ooo-

I slept in on Sunday morning, thanks to another late night with Orlando Bloom and Prince Harry. Rachel was great; I loved her and she was beyond kind to let me stay, but sharing a lumpy futon with two spoilt pugs was starting to take its toll. Orlando and Harry had decided to play with their chew toys on the foot of the bed at three o'clock this morning. Yesterday it was two o'clock.

As Rachel helped me rush and rummage through the bags, searching for the white sundress with the blue paisley patterns round the border, she apologised for her dogs. She also told me exactly what she thought about my planned day out.

"I'm so sorry. I'll shut them in the laundry tonight. What time's your train?"

"Ten o'clock."

"Plenty of time. Oh! Is this it?" She held up the sundress, smiling.

"Yep! That's it. Thanks."

Her smile faded as she handed it over. "You must be mad," she said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It's just one date. If you could even call it that." I slipped out of my robe and tugged the dress over my head.

"Look, I'm all for a rekindled romance, the whole second chance at love, you know that, but after everything he put you through? He's a bastard, a self-righteous prick, and you're really thinking about getting back with him?"

I bristled at her words. "I never said I was getting back with him. It's lunch. That's all. And I'm not really comfortable hearing you talk like that about him, so please don't. You don't know him."

"You're right, I don't. I only know what _you've_ said about him. And you said a lot after you came back from his place two weeks ago. Do you remember? Shall I remind you? Actually, I think 'self-righteous prick' were _your_ exact words."

I winced. She had a point. It hadn't been a pretty picture I'd painted of Edward after that confrontation in his living room. And while I'd been pretty vocal in telling Rachel how he'd lied and left me then treated me like I had the plague, I'd been less forthcoming about his sudden appearance on my doorstep last Saturday. "I know. You're right, I said a lot of things and at the time I meant them, but Edward and I have talked since then, I told you that."

"People don't change, Bella."

"Circumstances do."

"Hmmph," Rachel sniffed. "Well, I suppose getting the train is a good idea," she said. "But if you need me, just call and I'll come. And I'll bring Orlando and Prince Harry for reinforcements."

-ooo0ooo-

It was a perfect day for jazz and wine and beautiful rolling countryside. The sun of early Spring was high in a brilliant blue sky and as I stepped off the shuttle bus and walked with a small crowd through the gates of the winery, I felt a thrill at the prospect of seeing Edward in the sunlight without the limitations that sparkly skin can bring.

He was standing where he'd said he'd be, by the door of the old, refurbished, stables that had become the cellar and tasting rooms. A low timber verandah had been added to the front, overhung with a bull-nosed awning and Edward stood in its shade, casual in jeans and a white linen shirt, leaning against the timber wall, arms folded across his chest. A short distance away across the grass, in an open space surrounded by rows of grapevines and scattered with gum trees, musicians were playing to the crowd of picnickers. Edward was moving his head subtly in time to the music. There was a soft smile on his lips, and I smiled too as I stood by the gates, watching him. There were creases in his shirt. The breeze played in his already messy hair. It was a good guess that he liked the outdoors, because the small backpack at his feet had obviously been on a bushwalk or two. Beside it was a bottle of water, half-full, and he stooped down to pick it up. Head tilted back, he drank, his throat moving slowly as he swallowed, finishing what was left. Then he tossed the bottle at a nearby rubbish bin. When it bounced off the rim he lunged forward to grab it, missed, and had to pick it up off the verandah floor. He had another go and smiled widely when he scored this time. I laughed too. He seemed so content. So _real._ So human.

As I started walking towards him, he took his phone from his back pocket and frowned at the screen. When he looked up, and around, with an expression of concern, I realised he was probably looking for me. He slipped the phone away and dragged his hands through his hair.

"Hi!" I called out.

My heart skipped as his face lit up and he grabbed his backpack and stepped off the verandah, into the sun, to come and meet me. "Hey!"

There was not a sparkle in sight; no porcelain-smooth, light-reflecting perfection. Just creases around his eyes, and smile lines at his mouth. And I realised I wanted to rub my fingers over his stubble and feel its roughness.

"You got here," he said, beaming and I was aware again of how much taller he seemed now. "How was the trip up?" There was such happiness in his eyes, and some relief too, I thought. But there was also apprehension. A mild restraint that stopped any friendly hugs or cheek kisses. Despite his immediate joy he wasn't assuming anything, that was clear.

"It was fine. The seats on those inter-city trains are pretty comfy. What about you? Good trip?"

"Yeah, good." He pulled his hand through his hair again and I could feel we were in danger of slipping into an awkward silence. But Edward pulled us back quickly. "So, er, so, what do you think?" He gestured at the jazz band and the vineyard and the stables.

I could feel the smile stretch wide across my face. "It looks great. Have you been before?"

"Once. A few years ago. But the band is better this time."

The music _was_ good. Really good. A four piece group with a bluesy sort of sound was playing, and that brought a sudden thought to mind. "Edward, how come you sold your piano?"

He blinked, surprised, then shook his head, smiling. "I knew you'd have questions," he said. "I've spent the last few days trying to pre-empt what you might ask, but that one didn't make the list."

It was interesting he said that, because I did actually have a list. A long one. Over the past week my mind had been in such a whirl, I'd started writing down my thoughts and questions just to get them straight and out of my head. And each thought would lead to another, and then something else, and now I basically had a flow chart tucked down deep in the bottom of my tote bag. I'd added to it on my way up in the train.

Funny thing though, the piano question wasn't on that list, either.

"I never had time to play it," Edward said, shrugging. "I sleep now, so I don't have those endless hours available through the night. And when I'm awake I'm either at work, or out. If I'm tired I'd prefer to listen to music, than play it. Or I veg out in front of the television."

"I can't imagine you all sleepy, vegging out in front of the TV." Though the visual was kind of cute.

"It happens," Edward chuckled. "Trust me. And the piano isn't portable, I have to be there, in the living room, to use it. It ended up just gathering dust." He shrugged. "I play the guitar now. I can do that on the deck, or down the beach. I can take it with me if I go away."

"You can play it in bed on Sunday mornings…"

There was a spark of something in his eyes, and one corner of his mouth lifted slightly in a smile.

"I can," he said.

This was something I could definitely imagine. In fact, the image of Edward, in tousled sheets, lying back against the pillows with a guitar across his lap, had meandered through my thoughts often since our Thursday phone call, and it was enough to make the colour flood my cheeks now.

"Much more practical," I said, suddenly needing to adjust the strap on my bag.

"I still have the grand piano that you'd remember, though," he said. "It's with Carlisle and Esme."

I looked up, smiling. "I'm glad," I said. "And now I'm wondering, what questions are you expecting me to ask?"

He chuckled darkly. "I'll let you know when you ask them," he said. "So, er…" He looked around again and shrugged. "Would you like to do some wine tasting before lunch? Or are you hungry? We can order from the picnic menu at the restaurant and then eat out here on the grass."

"Wine tasting first," I said. "Then food. With wine."

Edward grinned. "Sounds like a plan." And we started walking back towards the stables. "Do you have a preference? Red or white?" he asked.

"Mm, white mainly. Chardonnay. Sauvignon blanc." It seemed surreal, talking about wine preferences with Edward Cullen. Or Masen. "You?"

"I like a good red sometimes," he said.

"Oh?" I couldn't stop the giggle that broke through my lips. Or the words that followed. "A good red? I thought you'd given that up these days." Shit! Why did I say that? Why? My hand flew to my mouth as Edward frowned. "Oh, I am so sorry. I didn't mean that. It was a joke. Did I offend you? I'm so sorry." My body burned with embarrassed panic. I had no idea about etiquette with an ex-vampire. Was it bad form to mention the old diet? Should I just get back on the shuttle bus and head for the station now?

Then Edward's frown shifted into a bemused sort of smile. "Er, no. I'm not offended." He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "Surprised, maybe." Then his face relaxed. "No, it's actually pretty funny. I think…I think I'm glad you can tease me about it."

"Really?"  
He nodded, his smile more certain now. "Uh huh."

"But I am sorry. I was scared I'd offended you."

"Don't be scared," he said. "I won't bite."

I gasped, and he winked, then nodded towards the stables. "Come on," he said. "If you're this funny sober, I can't wait to see you after a couple of wines."

-0-

He liked merlot.

Sitting in the stylishly rustic tasting room in big leather chairs, I was quietly fascinated, watching Edward taste from the tiny sample cup. Seeing the subtle tightening of his lips if it was a wine he didn't like, or the soft smile if it was one he did. It was a far cry from the Forks High cafeteria.

"When did you have your first drink?" I took a second sip of my chardonnay sample while he tipped the remainder of his into the brass 'leftovers' bowl on the timber coffee table.

"About four months after I changed. A beer with dinner in a restaurant."

The Sommelier appeared again and offered a taste of a sweet dessert wine. While we both politely declined I did a quick mental refresh of what I knew. Australia's drinking age was only eighteen, but Edward had lived here just five years. Four months after his change, he would have still been in the US. Or so I assumed. "You wouldn't have been twenty-one, yet. Although, that doesn't always matter, I know." College life had proven that much.

He shook his head, then glanced round at the other couples and small groups scattered around the room. He picked up a wine list order form and pencil from the neat pile on the table, lowered his voice and leaned a little closer. "Immediately after my change, there were a few days of accelerated ageing."

My eyes popped open wide, and I leant in, too. "That's why you look older than you should?"

He nodded and ticked the _Merlot_ box on the order form, then wrote a small number 6 in the quantity column. "My body was trying to play catch-up," he went on. "Carlisle was worried that I was racing towards my chronological age."

"And you'd hit 107 and die?" My words came without thought or tact and I winced as soon as I said them.

"Er, basically, yes. Although he didn't tell me that at the time. And I was too hungry and disoriented, and busy arguing with Alice, to really notice much." He smiled wryly. "Esme had hardly cooked in eighty years and suddenly she was in the kitchen round the clock with Rose and Jasper helping. And I was like a newborn foal, trying to adjust, stumbling around and bumping into things."

"Jasper cooks?"

"Surprisingly well." He snorted a laugh. "As long as it's bacon and eggs on toast." He set the order form down on the table and settled back comfortably in his chair. "It was easier for him to be in the kitchen where the smell of cooking drowned out my new scent," he said quietly. "In the end he had to move out for a while."

"Oh…" I hadn't thought about that. Of course, his scent would affect his family. "Your scent was stronger than a, um, _regular_ person?"

Edward's lips quirked, trying not to smile. "Initially."

"Was Jasper gone for long?"

"About six weeks. My scent had lost most of its intensity by then. Even so, it's still difficult for him to be around me for any length of time. Same with Rose and Emmett." His brow creased in a soft frown.

My mind was all over the place, taking in this new information, matching it up with questions on my list, and others I hadn't considered.

"The arguing with Alice, was that about the vision?"

He nodded and when he said nothing more, neither did I. Probably better to let that one go for a while.

"How many days?" I asked, still leaning forward, keeping my voice low and my eyes on the other people in the room. "Until the ageing stopped?"

A man and woman walked past slowly, almost hovering by us, engrossed in discussion over the wine list. Edward pulled the piece of paper close again.

 _1 week,_ he wrote. _17 to 22 approx._ He sat back again. "And then things slowed down and everything's progressed normally since."

My eyes ran over him. The breadth of his shoulders. The thick, hard, muscle of his forearms dusted with fine copper-coloured hairs. The veins and bones in the backs of his long-fingered hands. The subtle weathering of his skin.

From seventeen to twenty-two in a week.

"What age do you say you are now?"

"Thirty one. I had a birthday three months ago."

I'd guessed thirty that first day I saw him so I hadn't been far wrong. I sat back now too, and blew out a breath as I processed everything.

The engrossed couple moved on. The Sommelier appeared again, asked if we'd like to try the port, and disappeared with a friendly smile when we said no, thank you.

"I think we'd better go," Edward said. "He's getting edgy about us just sitting and talking too long."

"Really? He didn't seem to mind." I looked across the room where the Sommelier was chatting and laughing with some other guests, pouring port for them. "Why do you think that?"  
"Just a feeling." As soon as Edward said that, the man looked over his shoulder, in our direction, as though to check on us. When he caught my eye, he smiled quickly and turned away again.

"I thought you couldn't read minds anymore?"  
"I can't."

"Then…"

"Instinct," he said. "Come on, I'll place this order for the merlot and buy us a bottle of something to have with lunch. The pinot grigio was the only one we both liked, wasn't it?"

Outside, we chose a spot towards the back of crowd of picnickers, in the shade of one of the gum trees. I carefully balanced our lunches and the small cheese platter while Edward tugged a tightly folded tartan rug from his backpack. "It's not big, but it'll do the job," he said as we got comfortable. He poured wine into the two plastic glasses that had come complimentary with the bottle, and we sat back to eat and enjoy the music. I had the zucchini lasagne. He had the rarest steak I'd ever seen.

We didn't talk much at first. We were both hungry and happy to focus on those first bites of lunch, washed down with some pinot grigio and a bottle of water. And if I was honest, I was also focused on Edward. While he watched the band, I surreptitiously watched him as he ate. The steady rhythm of that square jaw as he chewed…

I took another sip of wine.

"So, tell me about yourself," Edward said, flashing me a cheeky smile, and I grinned as he lifted his fork to his lips. "What brings you to Australia?"

"Um, work." And I told him about the research opportunity that had come up around the same time that I'd had enough of LA. "I felt like I was stagnating there. There were more marine biologists than there were jobs and I was working at UCLA but it was a really junior role and twice I got passed over for a grant, so I went on the internet to find a new position. It was either algae in Sydney, or the gift shop at Seaworld. Microbes versus fridge magnets."

Edward laughed. A deep, full-throated, laugh that was new to me. And very attractive. My heart did a little skip. His hair fell over his eyes as he laughed at me and he pushed it back roughly.

"Would it be too forward of me to say, I'm glad you chose algae?"

"No," I said, feeling suddenly shy. "Not too forward."

He held up the bottle of pinot grigio, eyebrow raised in question. When I nodded, he topped up my glass. "How long are you here?"

"It's a three year contract. I'm eight months in. What about you?" I took the last bite of lasagne. "How long are you planning to stay?"

"I have permanent residency now," he said. "I don't have plans to go anywhere. At the moment." He'd finished his steak and salad and leant back now on his elbows, legs stretched out, feet moving subtly in time with the music. It was a different band now, playing ragtime. A happy upbeat piece that reflected the atmosphere. "What else?" Edward asked. "What do you do outside of work?"

I pushed my empty plate aside and found myself mirroring his pose and we spent the next little while talking and working our way through the cheese platter. I wasn't normally comfortable, talking about myself, but this felt easy as we just lay on the blanket, listening to the music. Edward stretched right out, laying on his back, arms beneath his head as I told him about yoga and restoring old furniture and travelling through Europe. And the salsa lessons.

"Really?" he asked, squinting against the sun as he looked up at me. "I thought you hated dancing."

"Only because I didn't know how. But salsa looked like fun and a couple of my friends were into it and I thought maybe I'd be okay if I had lessons."

Edward reached for a piece of camembert. "Were you?"

"Nope. Still complete crap on the dance floor."

I was graced with another deep rich laugh.

"So tell me about you," I said, grinning.

It seemed the great outdoors was his thing. He was into photography and abseiling, canyoning and mountain climbing.

"Anything dangerous, huh?"

"Photography's not dangerous.

"Depends on what you're photographing."  
"True," he agreed, sitting up again. "Here, try the brie. It's really good." He held out the cheese plate. "I also surf. And scuba dive, when I get the chance."

"Oh! I love diving!"

Edward's surprised smile lit up his face. "Do you?"

"Uh huh," I mumbled round the piece of brie. "I don't get to do it as much as I'd like, though. I haven't been for a while."

We began sharing stories and comparing notes about beaches and bays where we'd explored. I'd dived off Florida and LA. He'd discovered Bali and the Great Barrier Reef.

"Have you been to Bushrangers Bay?" he asked. "Down past Wollongong?" When I shook my head and said no, his grin went up a notch. "There's some great diving there. We could...you should check it out sometime. It's well-worth the drive to get there. Want to see a photo?" He tugged his phone from his back pocket, swiped a few times across the screen, then handed it over.

"Oh wow, that's gorgeous." A small rocky cove of turquoise that edged a darker sea. "How long ago was this?"

"About a month. There are a couple more."

I swiped and saw the bay from a different angle. Another swipe, another angle, this one with the sun bouncing off wet rocks. They were great pictures, he clearly did have a good eye for photography. Next was a close up of a wave hitting the sand. Swipe again, and there was Edward, laughing, dripping wet, peeling himself out of a wetsuit. Swipe once more and...

"Oh, sorry." The diving was over. This was a group shot. People out at dinner somewhere. I went to hand back the phone.

"It's okay," Edward said. "You can look if you like. I don't mind."

I've always thought that giving someone access to the photos on your phone, was a big thing. Like opening up your world to them. No secrets. This is me.

I looked at the photo again. About fifteen people all squeezed awkwardly round one side of a restaurant table. Edward was between a blonde woman and a guy with glasses. All smiles, arms round each other.

"It looks like a good night."

"It was a good night. A friend's birthday dinner," he said, smiling. "The obligatory group shot."

Yep, I was very familiar with the group shot. "It's always so hard to fit everyone in, isn't it. And everybody gives the waiter their phone so it's not just one shot, it's more like twenty."

"And you have to hold the smile through it all," Edward added.

"And try not to blink."

"And there's always that one camera that's impossible to work out and someone has to leave the group..."

"And show the waiter how to do it, yes! And then they rush back..."

"And everyone reshuffles."

"And it's always the shot where your eyes are closed that someone posts on Facebook."

Edward laughed. "Seems that way, doesn't it?"

"Do you have Facebook?"  
"No. But people show me things."

I swiped onto the next photo. A beach sunrise. Beautiful rays of golden light sparking off the water, he was good at capturing the sun.

There were four more shots of the sunrise, in its various stages, the sky shifting from pale gold to early-morning blue.

The next three photos were of a kombi van, mid-restoration.

"Whose is that?"  
"Mine."

"Really?" I looked up, surprised.

"I have a plan," he said. "Surfing road trip down the east coast. Cape York to Wilson's Promontory."

"And you're restoring a kombi van to do it in?"

He nodded, eyes shining. "It's a 1972 model. It was a wreck when I bought it, and so far I've replaced the engine and the suspension, brakes too. The body's had the rust cut out and..." He stopped, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm getting carried away and boring you."

"Not at all!" I looked back at the phone. The van was a deep blue with a white roof. "It's a great colour."

"That's the new paint job."

"Have you done it all yourself?"

"With Rosalie's help. She's the mechanic in the family and I stored it on their property for a while when I first bought it. I'd go up whenever I could to work on it, but it's back at my place now."

This was news to me, Rosalie and Emmett being in Australia, and I listened as Edward told me about their five acres inland from the Gold Coast.

"How long have they lived here?" I asked.

"Almost as long as me."

"They came to be with you?"  
"In a way." He took a deep slow breath and a look of resignation crossed his features. "Bella, there are some things you need to know before you make any decisions about me." He looked around us, at the people laughing and talking, occupied with good food and music, then poured a new glass of wine and held it out to me. "Here," he said. "You might need this."

 **000**

 **A/N: Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Your reviews and recommendations and support for this story mean so much. THANK YOU!**

 **Chapter 8 will be along soon, I promise!**

 **I've had some questions about my original work. If you're interested, I'd love you to check out "Over The Edge" and "Starcrossed" by Suzanne Carroll on Amazon. Or you can check out my blog, suzannecarroll dot com**

 **Thank you to Melanie for her super speedy beta skills xx Did you know Melanie released a new book last week? It's called "The Contract", by Melanie Moreland and you can find it on Amazon where it's racing up the charts! Congratulations, my friend! xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Lots of info in this chapter. And some possibly controversial revelations.**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

Despite the shade from the tree, I could clearly see the apprehension in Edward's eyes. I took the wine he offered, but didn't drink. My mind jumped from one thought to another, each more impossible than the last, wondering what he was going to say. My stomach began tying the knot that had become so familiar.

"I'm listening," I said quietly. Edward took another deep breath, and began.

"There's a sort of hierarchy among vampires," he said. "At the top of that hierarchy there's a nobility, a royal family, if you like. They call themselves the Volturi."

I remembered that word, Volturi. He'd mentioned them briefly once before, back in Forks.

"Go on," I said, and went to sip from the glass, then decided I'd had enough. I needed a clear head and grabbed the water bottle instead as Edward continued.

"The Volturi are very old and very powerful. They make the laws, and they punish those who break them." He paused. "And I've broken them."

"How?" It didn't make sense. He was human now, out of their jurisdiction, if that's what you'd call it. Or was that the whole point? "Oh...because humans aren't allowed to know about vampires?"

"There is that," he said, thoughtful. "But it runs deeper. Power is everything to the Volturi. Power and control and secrecy. We're human now, Rose and Emmett and me, and with what we know about the vampire world, and more importantly, how to leave it behind, we'd be seen as a threat to them."

"The royal family could lose their subjects, and their power, if this got out. Is that what you're saying?"

Edward nodded, watching me closely. "In theory. In reality it would never happen, though. Most vampires wouldn't want to give up the immortality or the physical power, but just the _possibility_ that there might be some who would? That would be enough for the Volturi to act."

Ah, I could see where this was going, now. "So you're in danger, and by associating with you, I could be in danger, too."

"Potentially." His gaze was wary, gauging my reaction, I thought.

"This is why you thought I might need a drink?"

He shrugged. "It's not the sort of thing you hear every day. Let alone on a first date. If that's what this is."

He was right on that one. "Are you on the run from the Volturi?" I asked.

"No. Nothing like that." He seemed startled by the question. "They don't know anything about my change, and I can't see how they ever will. The danger would only arise if they found out. But…" he exhaled, long and slow. "It's something to be aware of. I thought you should know. But you should also know that, if I thought there was any risk to you at all, we wouldn't be here, together, now."

There was a quiet conviction in his voice, and I believed him.

The crowd applauded, interrupting our conversation, and we both looked towards the low stage. The band had finished their set and a different group took their place, led by a dark haired woman with a soulful voice.

"She's good," Edward said, casually, changing the subject. Probably to give me some thinking space.

"Is this blues?"

"A style called jazz blues. It was very popular in the fifties."

I looked at him, thinking of what he'd just told me about vampire laws, and the surreal, immortal, world he'd left behind. He'd been around in the fifties. He'd probably heard this song from the original source.

"What are the chances of the Volturi finding out about you?" I asked.

"Slim to none. Roughly the same chance as being hit by a falling meteor."

I took a drink from the water bottle and while the music played I considered all he'd said. "A falling meteor? So I'd have a greater risk of walking under a bus tomorrow, am I right?"

A look of horror flashed quickly across his face. "Why do people always say that?" he muttered, shaking his head. Then he exhaled sharply. "Yes. You do. Much greater. But please don't."

"I'll try not to. But they sound like good odds to me. The Volturi thing, I mean."

"They are," Edward said, and when I smiled, he did too. But then his smile slowly faded. "Although, Rose and Emmett…"

He went no further. Another couple had arrived and were setting up their picnic next to ours. Close enough to overhear. "Want to go for a walk?" Edward asked quietly.

We wandered away from the crowd, away from the stables, towards the rows and rows of grapevines and the stunning views of the mountain range. It was beautiful rolling countryside. Edward pointed out a kookaburra on a fence post. There was a lake in the distance, with sunlight dancing on its surface, and the land sloped gently down towards it. The music was faint now, but it had followed us, and with no-one else around it was like our own personal soundtrack.

I knew Edward had more to tell me, but right now vampire threats and falling meteors seemed a world away.

As we headed towards the lake, Edward stopped and pointed towards a section of bushland, beyond.

"Look," he said, "See the wallaby?"

I responded with a spectacular yawn. And then a giggle at Edward's surprised face.

"That boring, am I?" he asked, smiling.

"Late night," I explained. "Or six." I filled him in on the nocturnal activities of Orlando and the prince. "So no, not you. You are never boring. At least, you never used to be." I cocked my head and pretended to study him. "Can't be sure about now though."

His lips twitched with a smirk. "You need more than wallabies and wine, huh? I'll have to see what I can do."

We kept on towards the lake. The sun was bright and I was squinting, so I stopped to rummage in my bag for a pair of sunglasses. Ahead of me a little, Edward skimmed a couple of stones across the water.

"Did you see that?" he called, grinning. "Five bounces! _Five_!"

I laughed. "Go you!"

He came back to me, happy and relaxed, and leant on the fence that separated us from more rows of grapevines.

"Lost something?"

"Sunglasses," I muttered. "They're in here some…there they are!" I tugged them free from where they'd settled down the bottom, and with them came my copy of the train timetable. It tumbled onto the grass and Edward bent immediately to scoop it up.

"Thanks," I said, realising now as he held it out that it wasn't the train timetable at all.

It was my list. The flowchart of questions. The one with _Relationships/Girlfriends?_ heading a column near the top. The burn of embarrassment quickly heated my cheeks.

"Um, thanks," I muttered again, taking the list from Edward's outstretched hand, and stuffing it back in the bag. Edward inclined his head slightly and smiled politely, before looking away to the view. I wondered if perhaps he hadn't realised what it was. Or maybe his eye had fallen on one of the other questions; about his career, or the Cullens, or if it was his own blood that changed Rosalie and Emmett.

But it would be impossible not to notice the relationship question. Especially as the word _VIRGIN?_ was written in capitals. And underlined three times.

He was just being a gentleman.

And now I had to decide whether to pretend it hadn't happened, or address the elephant in the room. Or the virgin in the vineyard.

"I know it's none of my business."

"It's not an unreasonable question," he said, smiling gently.

He folded his arms on the fence railing and rested his chin on them as he looked out over the grapevines. I stepped closer, heart thumping. I'd kind of assumed that he wouldn't be, but did I want to know? I wasn't sure.

"It's not normally something I ask on a first date." I tried to make light and Edward gave me a small smile.

"It's not your average first date though, is it?"

"Er, no. It's not."

I cleared my throat and looked around. There was a breeze tousling the long grass and I watched the blades move gently back and forth, waiting for…I didn't know what.

"No." Edward's deep voice came softly.

When I looked back at him, he hadn't moved. Still leaning on the fence, he stared into the distance. For a second I wondered if I'd imagined his voice. Then he turned his head to look at me, his eyes tender. "No, I'm not. Not for a while now."

"Oh."

It was what I'd thought. I mean, an attractive, _human,_ man of his age? It would be unrealistic to assume otherwise. But to hear it confirmed…it was like being kicked in the chest.

"Um, so you've had a girlfriend?"

Edward hesitated a moment, then held up three fingers.

Three.

 _Oh my God_. Another kick. But I swallowed hard, took a deep breath, told myself three in eight years was hardly a lot, and then wondered why it hurt so much.

"Okay. Well, that answers that question." I flashed him a quick, shaky smile. He pushed away from the fence, and took a step towards me. He held out a hand.

"Bella, I would never, if I'd thought we'd ever see each other again…"

"Well, that was your decision, wasn't it?"

He winced. "I thought…are you alright?"

"Yeah." I cleared my throat again, blinking hard against threatening tears as I pulled myself together. I refused to sound like the bitter ex. "I mean, it's not like we were together."  
"But you feel betrayed."

He spoke softly, but his words hit hard. Probably because they were true. But I couldn't trust my voice, and I used the silent moment to wonder if it was reasonable to feel the way I did.

"Bella?" Edward took a hesitant step closer.

"Yeah," I finally said. "You're right. I feel betrayed and I just need a moment to work out if I'm being ridiculous about this. Because right now I'm thinking some really irrational stuff."

"Like what?

I shook my head. Did he really want to open that Pandora's Box?

"Bella?"

"Did you love them?"  
"I cared for them," he said. "Very much. Otherwise I would have never…"

I held up my hand, stopping him. "It's okay. I get it. No one-night stands, huh?"

"No. Never."

Of course not.

The first hot tear crept onto my cheek and I turned away quickly, rubbing at my face with my hand. There was silence behind me, but I could _feel_ him there. I could feel the anguish coming from him.

"Were you going to tell me?" I asked, watching the sun sparkle on the surface of the lake.

"I knew it would come up. And that I'd be honest with you when it did."

I nodded. Fair answer. And really, while it was understandable for me to feel hurt, I wasn't seventeen anymore, and neither was Edward. We were adults and we'd both been living full lives apart from each other. We'd never expected to see each other again. What had I expected? That he would spend his short, human, lifetime as a celibate? How unrealistic was that? Especially if his human desires were no longer shrouded by bloodlust as they once had been.

It was stupid of me to feel like the cheated girlfriend. But still, a part of me did feel exactly like that. It hurt that the intimacy I had wanted from him, he'd shared with someone else. And I was going to be honest about it.  
"Okay." I inhaled deeply and turned back to him. "You asked what I'm thinking? I'm thinking how I threw myself at you, more times than was dignified, and nothing!" I held up my hands again. "Before you say it, I know, I know, the situations are _completely,_ _totally_ different. _You're_ different. And the smart, twenty-six year old, rational part of my brain gets it, it really does, and you should know that same part is also telling me to shut the fuck up right now. But another part, the part that remembers being seventeen and desperately, _irrationally,_ in love, is asking what those three women had that I didn't." I stopped for breath, staring him straight in the eye. "And that same irrational part wonders how soon it happened after you became human? And where? How many dates before…" I stopped and shook my head. "Geez, I sound like a jealous crazy person and this is seriously none of my fucking business." I backed away, laughing a rough, empty laugh. "And you were worried about me pulling out a selfie stick."

I was quiet then. Rant over, it seemed, and I stared down at my feet. I was aware of Edward in front of me, very still.

"I didn't date until I came to Australia," he said softly and for some reason, that little piece of information eased some of the hurt in my heart. "Your other questions…" I heard him exhale slowly. "I'll answer anything you ask, unless it gives away someone else's privacy."

He'd spoken gently, but those last words stung. Probably because I knew I'd overstepped the line with my final questions. And of course, as always, Edward was being the gentleman, protecting the lady. If I was honest, I wouldn't expect anything less of him.

I looked up. "Of course," I muttered.

My heart was trying to play catch-up with my head. Trying to reconcile the old-fashioned vampire with the modern man in front of me. This was not the sort of conversation I'd ever expected to have with Edward Cullen. But that was the whole point – he wasn't Edward Cullen anymore.

Humans evolve; they adapt and change with time and experience. Vampires less so. Edward had told me that once. As I watched him, with his green eyes, and his new history, I could see he'd done exactly that. He'd adapted and changed. His feelings were no longer set in stone as they once had been. He loved me, I could see that clearly in his eyes, and the anguished lines of his face, but now he lived a real human life, and in real human lives there's room for different people, different loves. I knew that from experience.

And no doubt that same humanness was what changed his mind about Alice's vision. Well, that and a wayward truck.

I realised then that I was still holding my sunglasses but I didn't put them on. If we were going to work through this, we needed no barriers.

"Why didn't you come for me, Edward?"

As the words left my lips, I knew that was the real crux of the issue. I dropped my bag and sunglasses on the grass, wrapped my arms round my middle and hugged myself, trying to stop the old fault lines from tearing open. "I mean, you were human. All the reasons for staying away were gone. You didn't have to live in fear of hurting me. So why didn't you come? Was it really just the vision?"

"The vision…Bella, it's pretty bad." A darkness shadowed his features as he moved towards the nearest tree, out of the sun. He arched an eyebrow, asking me to follow.

We sat on the grass, beneath the shade overlooking the lake, and settled in for the long haul.

"And you're wrong about there being no fear," he said, and I held my breath, my heart on hold, as he began to speak. "Fear has driven every decision I've made about you, for the past eight years. Even without the blood lust, or the strength that could crush you with a misplaced touch, that vision showed I was still a danger to you."

A little orange bug was crawling along his leg, climbing over ripples in the denim. Edward lowered his hand to his knee, letting the bug crawl onto his fingers so he could move it carefully back to the grass. "Your safety is everything to me," he said, and lifted his eyes to mine as the bug took shelter under a fallen leaf. "And it will always, _always,_ over-ride my own desires. But until very recently I believed that if staying away meant keeping you safe and alive, then there was no question. I'd stay away. I'd go to the ends of the earth if I had to." He gave me a sad smile. "I know now it's not as simplistic as that. There are so many more decisions that come into play and your fate isn't just about me sticking my head in the sand and telling myself if I can't see you then nothing bad will happen."

It was all starting to fit together, why he'd done what he'd done. I nodded, more to myself than to him, as the picture became clearer, and an old memory came calling.

Eight years before. Me, in the kitchen at Forks, telling my father I was leaving while he practically begged me to stay. I'd cruelly used the words my mother had said when she'd left him. I'd lied to him. I'd hurt him. Because I loved him and thought it would keep him safe from the vampire tracking me. And I knew I would have said worse, and stayed away forever, if I'd had to.

There had been that note, too. The one I'd left for Edward when I'd gone to meet the vampire in the ballet studio, begging him not to follow me… _I can't bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you._

I could kind of see where he was coming from.

I rubbed my hands over my face and wished the world would just go away. I wished I was back home in my flat in Balmain, listening to music and looking at Pinterest and planning which movie I'd watch after dinner while my fairy lights shone softly at the windows. Except my flat was trashed, all roped off, and all I had was a lumpy futon in a spare room.

I leant back, and laid down on the grass, staring up at the sky through the leaves. There were some clouds drifting by, and I imagined my jumbled thoughts leaving my mind and floating away with them.

I wondered if Edward had ever brought one of his girlfriends to listen to jazz in the vineyards and then decided I didn't need to do that to myself.

"Do you have questions for me?" I asked, shifting my gaze to him.

He was sitting with his back against the trunk of the tree, staring up at the leaves, too. "I don't have any questions," he said with a tight smile. "But if there's been someone who's loved and cared for you and made you happy, then I'm glad for that."

"There has been. Two someones." Three if I counted Jacob, which I didn't.

"Then I don't need to know anything more." He spoke quietly, keeping his eyes on the sky. A moment later when he took his water bottle from the backpack and calmly drank, I felt a sudden flare of anger.

"Oh my God, you are so fucking noble."

He lowered the bottle quickly and stared. "Excuse me?"

"Noble. You're so noble." Suddenly, I was on my feet, fists clenched, glaring down at him, enjoying the shock on his face as I paced back and forth in front of him.

"I just did the whole _jealous ex_ thing on you, but you're above all that, apparently. You sit there being noble and reasonable and…and fair-minded…"

Suddenly Edward was on his feet too, towering over me.

"Oh, I'm far from all that, Bella, trust me."

There was something in the tone of his voice now. Something dark and forbidding that frightened and thrilled me at the same time.

"Don't ever think I'm noble," he whispered, green eyes blazing. "I said I'm glad you've been loved, and I am, because I want you happy. But I _can't bear_ the fact that it wasn't me. Just the thought that someone else has kissed you and held you and probably shared your bed makes me want to destroy something, because as ridiculous and irrational and _Neanderthal_ as it is, deep down I think of you as _mine_. I always have. And I don't like someone else having what's _mine_." He was breathing hard, glaring. "Is that what you want to hear?"

The bottle was still in his hand and he took a long swig, never moving his angry eyes from mine. When he'd finished, he wiped his mouth roughly with the back of his hand. "See? Not so fucking noble after all, huh? I think my jealousy gives yours a pretty good run for its money." He threw the bottle onto his backpack and exhaled sharply. "Of course, there's the added bonus that I'm the bastard that let you go in the first place, so I have no fucking right to be jealous. And I only have my fucking self to blame for that."

The power of speech and thought had left me and all I could do was feel.

"Yes," I whispered.

"What?" he snapped.  
"Yes, it's what I wanted to hear."

It was what I needed to know.

He seemed shocked, his expression baffled, then he stepped back, pulled his hand through his hair and laughed a quick, dark, laugh. "Confessions of my darker side. That's what you want?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I don't want you to be on your best behaviour, I know that." I cleared my throat. "I know I wasn't just now."

He shook his head. "Is this us getting to know each other?"

"I think so."

There were a tense few moments as we stared at each other.

"I did come for you," he said roughly. "Twice."

His words didn't register, at first. I'd been so convinced for so long that he'd abandoned me, that my mind couldn't consider anything else. I played the short sentence over again in my head as its meaning slowly sunk in. Then my breath caught as my heart settled in for another sprint session.

"Wh…when?"

"Six weeks after my change," Edward said. "I ignored Alice's vision, and her protests, and drove two days, across four states, and got into Forks around ten o'clock on a Tuesday night."

 _Oh my God._ "Are you serious?"

He nodded and the anger faded from his face, replaced by defeat as his shoulders slumped now. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and stared down at his feet. "I sat there, palms sweaty, heart racing, excited, scared. I was wondering what to do. The cruiser was in the driveway, and your truck, and another car I didn't recognise. I sat and wondered what you'd say. And I thought about how to explain the change in my appearance to Charlie. But then you came out the front door."

My mind was racing, trying to think when this would have been. He'd told me before that he'd changed a few months after he'd left Forks, and a cold feeling suddenly stole over my heart.

"You weren't alone," he said, and that cold feeling turned to ice.

"I was with Jacob Black, wasn't I?"

He nodded again. "You were laughing." He lifted eyes, and his smile was sad. "You looked happy. Very happy. And he looked happy too. You kissed him. And I drove away."

I thought my heart might break all over again.

"I turned back," he went on. "I was going to fight for you…" He sighed and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "But then I realised a werewolf would be able to protect you from the world _way more_ than I ever could. Especially with your record for attracting danger." He gave me a wistful, lopsided smile. "You seemed happy and you were with someone who could keep you safe in a way I never could. Not anymore. So I turned the car round again and that time I kept going. I thought I was making the right decision."

Sorrow and anger were battling within me, each of them trying to take the lead role in my heart.

"You shouldn't have decided for me, Edward." I sighed, heavily and went to sit back under the tree, resting against its trunk, out of the sun. "It never went anywhere, and it didn't get serious, in case you want to know. It lasted about a month before we realised it was a mistake." It was a good thing we'd both had a sense of humour about it. "We stayed friends. Best friends. We still are. He's married now."

Edward stayed standing, hands on his hips now as he stared down at the ground.

"The second time was three years later," he said. "Facebook. It wasn't the first time I'd thought about finding you again, not by a long shot, but every time I did…"

"Alice would call?"  
"She would. Reminding me what was in store for you if I so much as dialled your number. Though I didn't need reminders." He looked up. "But this time I turned my phone off, and went online. You didn't post much, but there were pictures of you at Christmas and New Year..."

 _Oh no!_ This was fucking unbelievable. "That was Alexander," I said, sighing. "We were together about a year and a half, but…crap, you saw the ring, didn't you?"

He nodded. "I'm guessing it didn't work out, though."

"Edward, that was my grandmother's engagement ring. Renee gave it to me at New Years. She wanted me to wear it and that was the only finger it would fit."

"Ah…" he sighed and looked away. "I remembered your feelings about marriage, so at the time I assumed…" He shrugged again. "He must have been something special for you to make that commitment."

I could see how he would think that.

"He was special, yeah." I'd even thought for a while he might be 'the one'. "But we weren't engaged." Edward's timing was unbelievable. It almost seemed like the universe had been against us. "So that was when you decided to come here?"

"You'd moved on. I needed to. And I didn't take that step lightly."

The little orange bug was back, climbing along the strap of my sandal, struggling over the buckle at my ankle. As I gently brushed it away and watched it crawl back to its fallen leaf, I thought about regrets and lost opportunities.

"The music's stopped," Edward said flatly, looking in the direction of the stables and the stage. "I guess we should head back for the shuttle bus."

As we walked in silence, side-by-side, I felt utterly drained, but my thoughts still churned.

I regretted the pain that Edward and I had both gone through, but I didn't regret my time with Alexander. Or Sam. I loved my life and the things I'd done, the places I'd been and people I'd met. I even loved my microbes in their petri dishes. If Edward hadn't driven away when he saw me with Jake, what would I be doing now?

I didn't know. I would never know, and there was no point trying to find an answer, because there wasn't one. But I was pretty sure I wouldn't be the person I was now.

Edward walked with his head down, hands shoved deep in his pockets. At one point, near the winery, I asked him if he'd heard any more from Alice since his decision last week. He shook his head, not looking at me.

"I've told her not to call."

The edge in his voice made me think all was not well between him and his sister. I wanted to ask about it, but it wasn't really the right time. There were too many other things to think about. Like, where was this relationship going to go, now? I thought back over all he'd told me, and something new occurred to me.

"How did you know Jake was a werewolf? That happened after you left."

We were near the winery now, on the edge of the crowd meandering out through the gate.

"Long story," Edward said and I realised this obviously wasn't the right place for that conversation.

"Next time, then?"

He looked at me sharply with an expression that asked if there would be a next time, just before we joined the line for the buses.

The shuttles were crowded and Edward made sure I had a seat while he stood in the aisle. But our bus was just one of many, and the platform at the station was a crush of people. When the train pulled in there was a sudden surge as the crowd moved forward. Edward was ahead of me as we were jostled and bumped along. I was falling further behind him, getting lost in the swell of people and picnic baskets. Then, without looking, he thrust his arm behind him, hand open, and I grabbed it without thinking.

It was the first time I'd touched him.

There was no shock of electricity like I'd felt back in that biology lab. But there was something else. Something more.

Something like _home._

His hand was warm and strong and curled securely around mine, holding fast, keeping me with him as the crowd heaved around us. We stood still, letting the bulk of people board ahead of us, and though we were surrounded, suddenly I felt like we were the only two on the platform.

The knowledge that this was right, that _Edward_ was right, settled inside me, stretched out and made itself at home, and I realised I was smiling. I could dwell and obsess about the ex girlfriends and misguided decisions of the past, or I could focus on the future that stretched ahead.

No contest.

As the crowd thinned Edward headed for the back of the train, to the last carriage, which was only half full. We climbed in and Edward led the way down the aisle, to a seat at the back, on our own.

His hand still held mine.

Settling into our seats, Edward smiled down at me, a hopeful, hesitant smile as his fingers gently squeezed mine, asking the question, _is this alright? Are we good to keep going?_ When I squeezed back, and smiled too, his face lit up, a kind of joyous relief in his eyes that I felt in my heart.

"I want this to work," I whispered.

"So do I."

The countryside sped by, a hypnotic blur of mountains and sky in a fading afternoon light. As I watched, a bone-deep weariness crept over me and suddenly I couldn't think anymore. I didn't _want_ to think anymore. I stifled a yawn.

In a move as natural as it was welcome, Edward let go of my hand, and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I rested my head against his chest, feeling the warmth of him. His body was hard and well-muscled, but yielded to me in a way his old body hadn't. This was like being welcomed in. I smiled, listening to the solid beat of his heart, and closed my eyes.

"None of it matters now, does it?" I whispered. "The past, I mean. What's done is done. You can't move forward if you're always looking back."

"That's very profound."

"I read it on Pinterest."

"Oh." Edward chuckled, a warm sound that rumbled deep in his chest.

"I don't want to be on a pedestal," I murmured. "I don't want to be treated like porcelain."  
"I promise. No porcelain. Not sure about the pedestal."

I smiled against him, and thought I felt his lips on my hair. "It's early days," I said.

"I know."

The rocking of the train was soothing, but not as soothing as Edward's heartbeat. It played its own song, deep inside him, and I was an attentive listener. "It's not quiet in here anymore," I whispered, and I placed my hand tentatively on his broad chest. He covered it comfortably with his own.

"No," Edward said. "It's not."

I tilted my head, looking up at him. "What did it feel like? The first time you felt it beat?"

"Like being kicked in the chest by a horse." He grinned and I grinned back.

"I still have questions."  
"I know."

Of course he knew, he'd seen the list.

"I'm away this week," Edward said. "Flying to Melbourne on Tuesday for a conference, but I'm back Friday night. If you like, we could have dinner."

I felt the smile stretch wide on my face.  
"I'd like that. If you're not going to be too tired."

"Not for you," he said.

I smiled up into his shining eyes. And yawned once more. He chuckled, and settled me back against his chest, and as his hand rubbed slowly along my arm, back and forth in a gentle rhythm, I fell blissfully to sleep.

-ooo0ooo-

I slept all the way to Central Station, and woke with Edward's voice murmuring softly in my ear.

"Bella, we're here."

It was disappointing that I'd slept through two hours of potential talking time, but I felt better for it. Especially when a quick glance at Edward's shirt assured me I hadn't drooled in my sleep.

Edward was rubbing his eyes, too. I'd never seen him sleepy, and the slightly dishevelled look with the hooded-eyes was really something.

"You okay?" he asked, stretching, and that was its own thing of beauty, too.

"Fine," I mumbled, trying not to stare too much as I gathered up my things.

I was changing trains for the Parramatta line. Edward needed the Northern line, but he insisted on coming to wait with me on my platform. I didn't argue.

"I've been thinking," he said as we stood holding hands opposite a billboard for dental floss, and the sudden, subtle, tension in his body had me on alert.

"Mm?"

"I was thinking…if you wanted, you could leave Orlando and the prince behind for a while and stay at my place while I'm gone."

Well, that was unexpected, and for a second I wondered if I'd heard right. "Oh, um…"

"You'd be doing me a favour. House sit for me. Water the plants."

"Do you have plants?"

"Er, no." His shrug came with an apologetic smile. "But my spare room is comfortable, dog-free, and at your disposal. If you like."

I didn't know what to say. We'd agreed it was early days. Was this too much too soon? But then, it wasn't like we were moving in together.

It seemed my indecision was clear on my face.

"It was just a thought," Edward said and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "I realise it might not be convenient. It would be a long drive to work and the public transport is pretty bad up that way."

He not only understood my uncertainty, he was giving me an out so I wouldn't feel awkward.

"Just while you're gone?" I said.

"Yep," he answered, flashing a cheeky grin. "I'll be kicking you out as soon as I get back. Have your bags packed, ready."

"Fair enough." I smiled back. "Okay, that'd be great Edward, thank you."

"My pleasure." He cleared his throat, gave my hand another squeeze, then turned towards the tunnel at the sound of an approaching train. "I'm on a late flight on Tuesday," he said. "Do you want to come after work and I'll give you the tour and show you how the tv works?"

"Okay."

My train pulled up with the familiar screech of metal on metal and I was struck with how to say goodbye. A hug? A kiss? I turned to Edward.

"I guess this is me."

He nodded. A small number of people disembarked. A similar number got on. The guard blew his whistle. It was happening too fast, and it seemed neither of us wanted to rush anything.

"I'd better go." I said.

I went to take a step forward, but Edward's hand tightened around mine.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember that day in Forks when I took you home, and showed you my room?"

I stared up into green eyes that were so achingly tender, and full of love, my heart almost broke.

"That was the most intimate experience of my life," he said. "I just wanted you to know."

Then he let go and stepped back, out of the way of some stragglers rushing for a seat. I stood, heart pounding, letting Edward's words wash over me, filling me. The whistle blew again. Almost too late, I clambered aboard, just before the doors shut.

The train started, pulling out slowly from the platform, while Edward waved. He mouthed something I couldn't make out, so I just waved too, until he was out of sight.

As he disappeared from view, my phone beeped with a text. When I retrieved it from the depths of my bag, it was Edward's name on the screen.

 _See you next Tuesday x_

Smiling, I traced my finger over that tiny kiss. _I_ was his most intimate experience.

I decided I'd be collecting that kiss for real next Tuesday.

-ooo0ooo-

 ***peeks out from behind sofa* I know some readers were hoping that Edward had kept his virtue, but the story was always going this way and I think it makes for a more rounded, real, interesting, Edward. Though I think the essence of vampire Edward is still very much there, and we'll see flashes of him from time to time : )**

 **It was in Eclipse that Edward told Bella that all he had left to give her was his virtue, they hadn't had that conversation when he'd left in New Moon, so that's why there's no reference to it in this story. I know some of you might choose not to keep reading, and I understand : )**

 **Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and messages. I really do have the best readers and your support for this story means so much to me xx**

 **Thank you Melanie for your super beta skills, and congratulations, my friend, on all your amazing success with The Contract xx**

 **Next chapter is in the works…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Note: "Tradies" = tradesmen**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

There was a credit card statement in my mailbox when I checked on Monday after work. And a flyer for house insurance, which was kind of ironic. I stuffed them both in my bag, did a quick check that the little garden gnome was still on security detail under the shrubs, and then turned to leave.

"Bella!"

I spun round to see Beryl coming towards me, beaming, handbag swinging on her arm. "How are you, pet?" She greeted me with a hug and it was so good to see her.

"I'm good," I smiled. "Just came to get my mail."  
"Me too. And running some errands." Beryl sighed as she looked at the block of flats we called home. "Tradies have knocked off for the day, I see. Doesn't look like much has happened."

The scaffolding was still in place. The yellow tape had been replaced with a mesh security fence. Apart from that, there was no sign of much happening at all.

"I think it's all going on inside," I said.

"Yes, you're probably right." She sighed again. "I'll be glad to get back. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love staying with Gordon and the grandchildren, but, you know, they're pretty exhausting. And there's nothing like your own bed, is there?"  
"Nothing," I agreed.

Beryl patted my arm. "Let me check my letterbox, and then do you have time for a cuppa? Gordon's going to pick me up from the café and I'd love some company while I wait."

Beryl had a cappuccino while I had a hot chocolate and we shared a vanilla slice.

"So, what have you been up to?" Beryl asked. "You look like you've caught the sun."

I'd noticed that too, when I'd discovered my pink cheeks in the mirror this morning. "I was in the Hunter Valley yesterday. Jazz in the Vineyards with a friend."

"Oh?" Beryl grinned. "Do tell?"

So I chatted away about the music and the stables, and the food and wine, the views and the wallaby. Beryl listened attentively, asking questions, making comments.

"And this friend you went with," she said as she sipped her coffee. "Was it that lad from the mafia?"

I almost choked on my chocolate.

"He was not in the mafia!" I gasped, roughly. "That was Rachel being dramatic, I thought we'd been through that."

Beryl waved away my protest. "But it was him. The American with the dodgy past. Albert?"

"Edward. And he doesn't have a _dodgy_ past." Or did he?

That word covered a broad range of evils, I'd learned. From sour milk to corrupt politicians. But would it include an ex-vampire?

Okay, maybe his past _was_ a bit dodgy.

Now I frowned as I blotted my mouth with a paper napkin.

"There were circumstances that made a future together difficult for us, but those circumstances are gone now. And yes, it was him I went with. And I had a great time."

Now I waited for the lecture. Like Rachel had given me.

Well, that's good." Beryl smiled. "The Hunter's lovely. My niece had her wedding up there last year. Beautiful spot, isn't it?"  
"Er, yes it is. Aren't you going to tell me to stay away from him?"

"Why would I do that?" Beryl plunged a fork into her half of the vanilla slice. "You know him better than someone who's never laid eyes on him." She popped a piece of pastry into her mouth. "And you're smart enough to know your own mind. Aren't you?" Her gaze narrowed as she assessed me. " _Should_ I be telling you to stay away from him?"

"No," I said quickly and picked up my spoon to stir my chocolate again as all my 3am doubts began to resurface. "No, it's all good. It's just, you know, there's stuff to work through. We've been apart a long time, led different lives. With different people." And I'd been wondering a lot about Edward's _different people_. Some of the chocolate slopped over the side of the cup as I stirred, staining the tablecloth, and I put the spoon down. "There's a lot to learn," I said. "And he's offered me his place while he's in Melbourne for a few days and I said yes but now I'm wondering if I should. Rachel thinks I'm mad if I do." Actually, she hadn't been that polite. "But I'm trying to look forward, not back."

"I see." Beryl chewed slowly, her blue eyes shrewd. It was like she could see right through me. "Well, you didn't specifically ask my opinion, but for what it's worth, I'd say the important thing is to trust yourself. It's easy to spend too much time thinking about what's the right thing to do, when you knew the answer all along." She took a sip of coffee. "You loved him very much, didn't you?"

"I thought he was my destiny." I rolled my eyes; it sounded so dramatic now. "Things were pretty intense, but we didn't…you know, we never…he couldn't…it's hard to explain."

Beryl stuck her fork back into the vanilla slice. "You wanted him to be the one," she said, matter-of-factly.

"I wanted us to be each other's."

Beryl nodded. "When I was young, I was in love with my brother's best mate, Jack. He loved me too, but he wouldn't act on his feelings, out of respect for my brother."

"That doesn't make much sense."

"You're telling me," she mumbled around a mouthful of pastry. "Anyway, he couldn't cope being near me and not being able to do anything about it, so he moved away. A few months later I moved to London. That was the thing to do back then. It was the _sixties_ ," she said, significantly. "And I wasn't promiscuous, but I did find myself a _serious_ boyfriend." She gave me a knowing look.

"Oh…" I smiled, and leant closer, quietly surprised by this revelation as I imagined Beryl as a twenty-something in mini-skirts and go-go boots. Beryl leant in, too, whispering, her eyes twinkling.

"Julian. He was lovely. Tall, blond. Meant the world to me and we had great fun. But it ran its course and when I came back home a couple of years later I ran into Jack again and we…oh look, here's Gordon!"

My thoughts scattered, leaving Jack and Julian behind as a stocky, middle-aged man with glasses walked through the door. He kissed Beryl on the cheek with a cheery, "Hello Mum," and pulled up a chair.

"Gordon," Beryl said, "This is Bella. From next door."

He shook my hand, smiling, while my mind shifted from the 1960s to right now. I'd have to find out the rest of Beryl's story another time.

"Bella's the lass I was telling you about," Beryl went on. "The one who went to the museum opening."

"Ah! Yes." Gordon nodded enthusiastically. "That must have been something. I've heard that roof does some amazing things."

"Oh, it does," I agreed. "Definitely amazing." I wondered if I should mention that Edward had designed it.

"I'll be there on Wednesday for an exhibition," Gordon said. "But somehow I don't think they'll let me play with the roof controls." He chuckled, a warm sound, and his eyes twinkled like his mother's.

"Is that the Viking exhibition?" I asked, smiling too. I'd read about it and seen the ads on bus shelters round the city. "It sounds fantastic. I didn't think it opened until next week?"

"Oh!" Beryl's eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "Gordon, why don't you take Bella behind the scenes?" Then she turned to me. "Gordon's head of Marketing for EastWest Travel," she offered by way of explanation, except it didn't explain much.

"Oh?"

"We're sponsoring the exhibition," Gordon clarified. "Hopefully having our logo plastered everywhere will encourage everyone to do a Scandanavian river cruise." He chuckled again. "So, would you like to come? I'm going to check out the advertising side of things before it opens. You could see behind the scenes, get up close, without the crowds."

A spark of excitement shot through me. "Would that be allowed?"

"I don't see why not," Gordon answered. "I'd like to do it. I know you keep an eye on Mum, it'd be my way of saying thank you."

Actually, it was more like the other way round and I didn't know what I'd do sometimes without Beryl, but I accepted Gordon's offer with thanks. History, like literature, had always been a quiet background passion.

"Lovely!" Beryl exclaimed, clapping her hands as if to seal the deal.

Arrangements were made for Wednesday afternoon, and as Gordon stood and held open the door, Beryl hugged me goodbye.

"I married Jack," she whispered in my ear. "And we had forty eight wonderful years. It's not always your _first_ that counts." She pulled back and gave me a wink. "It's the one who stays the distance."

-ooo0ooo-

The surfboard was gone from Edward's front porch, but the cat was there on the steps again, stretching in the late afternoon sun.

The house looked the same, but so much was different. So much had changed since the last time I'd sat here, deciding that it couldn't be Edward Cullen who lived beyond the steel-grey letterbox.

It had been such a simple thing that had brought me here that Sunday. Just a name in a database. It would have been so easy to dismiss it as impossible and not bother to come. And then, when I had come, I had almost walked away. If Nick, or whatever his name was, hadn't come out when he had, I would never have found Edward again.

So many near misses.

Like Edward seeing Jacob and me. Or that picture on Facebook.

Last night I'd gone back through my photos until I found it and I wasn't surprised that he'd jumped to conclusions. It was a candid shot. We hadn't known Renee had snapped it until we'd seen the flash, but she'd caught an obviously intimate moment.

Alexander and I had been wrapped in each other's arms, my hand resting on his bicep, ring in prime position. I'd been grinning up at him, he'd been smiling adoringly down at me. If I hadn't known better, _I'd_ have thought we were engaged. We definitely looked like two people in love. My face had said it all.

I could imagine Edward's shock when he'd seen it.

There was so much that was still unknown. It had been true when he'd said we didn't know each other, Sunday's revelations had proved that. So why was I sitting here, ready to move into his house for three days?

Because, somehow, it felt right.

Beryl's story, and her words about trusting myself, had resonated with me. And that's what I kept coming back to. Every time I'd had second thoughts over the past few days, I'd gone back to that moment on the station platform when Edward's hand had found mine. The feeling that had filled me had gone beyond reason or logic, to a deeper place. Soul deep, maybe? I wasn't sure. I couldn't define it, but I understood it.

I trusted it.

Besides, the dogs had gone crazy being put to bed in the laundry and had only lasted one night there before reclaiming the lumpy futon under Rachel's desperately apologetic gaze.

"Um, actually maybe you would like to have a few nights away," she'd murmured this morning as I'd wrestled my shoe from Prince Henry's mouth.

So, with a deep breath, I got out of the car, grabbed my bag, and walked up the front path.

The cat meowed at me as I knocked on the door and I wondered how Edward would greet me. With a hug? A kiss on the cheek? I had my answer a moment later when he opened the door, dressed in low-slung sweat pants and a loose t-shirt. His feet were bare. On his face sat a pair of glasses, and black-framed Clarke-Kent-style spectacles had never looked so good. He also had the phone stuck to his ear.

He grabbed my suitcase with his free hand.

" _Sorry_ , _work,_ " he mouthed, then, "yeah, I'm still here Josh, but I have to go…" He frowned. "Is it quick?"

I followed him into the hall and he set my bag down in front of a closed door before motioning for me to join him in the living room. "They can't do that," he said into the phone. "The beams will never support a span that size." He pointed at the stand of coffee pods on the counter and raised his eyebrows in question.

"Um, actually, do you have juice?"

He nodded and turned to the fridge, phone tucked between his shoulder and ear, talking about canter levers and angles as he took the juice carto from the door and a glass from the wall cupboards. It only occurred to me then that I should probably have offered to help myself. "Yeah, it's definitely going to mean a re-do if that's what they want now," Edward was saying. "Re-draw the plans from scratch." He poured the glass, and passed it to me. I thanked him and he answered with a smile, before pouring one for himself.

"No, no I'm in Melbourne until Friday," he said, putting the juice back. "It'll have to be next week, unless you want to have the meeting without me, I don't have a problem with that…well, it'll have to be skype then. I'll ask Tracey to set something up."

It was kind of fascinating to see Edward like this. I sat at the island scattered with papers and a laptop, just like the other time I'd been here, watching him and wondering why he used the kitchen as his home office.

The piano was gone. In its place were those floating shelves that look like they're just sticking out of the wall. They held books, a sophisticated looking sound system, and what looked like a dozen or so photo albums on the bottom shelf that immediately piqued my interest. I wondered if he'd mind me looking in them.

"I'll see what I can do," he was saying now, leaning against the dishwasher and rolling his eyes at me. I grinned and he grinned back. "No, I'm not going to get into that now, Josh. I have someone here…yes it _is_ important," he snapped before saying goodbye and tossing his phone aside. His glasses joined them. "Sorry about that." I thought he might come round to my side, but he didn't.

"No problem. You didn't go into the office today?"  
"I did this morning. I worked from home this afternoon. Less interruptions. Theoretically, anyway. But I did finalise the conference presentation, at least."

"You're presenting in Melbourne?"

"I'm the key note," he said, leaning his elbows on the counter. "Talking about the museum roof."

"Wow." I'd assumed he was just attending and I'd been to enough conferences myself to know that presenting the key note address was a pretty big deal. "That's impressive."

He shrugged.

"Do you like being an engineer?" I asked.

"I do," he said. "When I had to choose a career, it was the only thing I wanted to do. I already had an engineering degree from the 1970s, so I just built on that. Jasper was able to arrange paperwork and computer records so it looked like I'd done the first three years by correspondence through Stanford, then I _transferred_ from distance mode for the last couple and became a full-time, on-campus student."

"You actually did those last two years at Stanford?"

"I did," he said, smiling. "I have the graduation photos and the Masters to prove it."

"But you only studied for two years?"

"This time round. There have been a lot of advances since my first degree, so it was good to consolidate that with my existing knowledge."

"But, in current terms, you're not fully qualified."

There was bemusement in his eyes. "Really, Bella?" He arched a brow. "I'm more qualified than anyone else in my graduating class. Or anyone I work with. I'd done the course once before, I already had the knowledge," he said. "And if I'd started from scratch I would have been graduating that much later. I'd probably still be in a junior role now, at thirty-one. There'd be no way I would've landed a project like the museum ceiling, for example." He leant back against the counter, eyeing me speculatively. "You disapprove."

"Maybe."

"May I ask why?"

I exhaled, trying to gather my thoughts. "It feels like you're cheating the system. If you're going to live a human life, it doesn't seem fair to use your _unique_ background to effectively cut in line when it suits you."

" _Cut in line_?"

Okay, that came out wrong. "You know what I mean."

For a long moment he stared at me. Then his lips twitched, trying to hide a smirk.

"I think I know," he said. "And you're right. It doesn't _seem_ fair. But it is."

"We might just have to disagree."

"Wouldn't be the first time."

I raised my glass to him. "True," I said and took a sip. "Why are we even having this conversation?"

"I don't know." He smiled, eyes tender now. "I can't believe you're here." Then the smile faded a little. "I thought you might change your mind. About staying."

"I thought I might, too." My voice was soft, almost a whisper. "I wasn't sure if it was too much too soon."

"Is it?"

I realised now why Edward hadn't moved to touch me. He was giving me space, not wanting to rush me. It was very Edward, and the realisation made me smile.

"I don't know," I answered. "But I've decided I'm going to trust the way I feel, so…I'm here."

"Even if you think I've cheated the tertiary education system and have suspect qualifications?" He smirked.

"Even then." I smiled. "And hey, if you're happy to risk leaving me unsupervised with the expensive television and sound system…"

"Mm, now you're making me doubt."

"Well, I haven't unpacked yet. You have still have time to change _your_ mind."

He pretended to consider, and I was glad for this moment of lightness. "Nah. I'll risk it," he said. "Come on, let me take you on the tour. I hope you're not allergic to wattle. There's a tree outside your bedroom window."

I wasn't allergic to wattle. And the tree was beautiful with its tiny yellow blossoms and fine silvery green leaves. "It makes a gorgeous view," I said as Edward set my bag on the end of the bed.

The guest room itself was neat and clean and simple. Bed, desk, shelves.

"Is this okay?" he asked. "You think you'll be comfortable?"

"Oh, I'll be comfortable, this is great, thank you. Um, is it always this neat?"

There was a sheepish smile and Edward pulled his hand through his hair. "I'd like to say yes. Just don't look in the hall cupboard, okay?"

"Ah, so you've hidden all the junk in there, huh?"  
"Pretty much." He flashed me a wide, brilliant, smile that reminded me so much of Edward Cullen that my breath caught.

"You still have perfect teeth," I said, and then wished I hadn't. Edward frowned softly, then shrugged.

"Not so sharp, though," he said. "Come and I'll show you the rest of the house."

The master bathroom was next door and inside was something I'd never seen before. A huge sunken bathtub. With walls of timber and a floor of rough stone that also edged the asymmetrical bath, and its floor-to-ceiling views, it was like a private lagoon looking out over the sea.

"This is _amazing!_ " I dragged my eyes back to Edward. "Was it like this when you moved in?"

"No. I've been in the house three years, I only did the bathroom a year ago. I sacrificed the third bedroom to do it." He looked around him. "I thought it would be relaxing."

"It is, isn't it?"

"Yes." He smiled. "Very. You're welcome to use it. Everything's been properly reinforced, nothing will collapse, I promise."

"Oh, I believe you."

There was an open shower in the corner and a stone basin suspended from the wall beside it.

"There's storage behind the mirror." He pointed above the basin where the round, frameless mirror reflected the sky. "The toilet is separate. Across the hall." Edward pointed again. At least, I thought he did. I was too busy staring at the huge skylight in the ceiling above. Edward took a step closer. "On a clear night, you can turn the lights out, lay back, and watch the stars."

"That must be incred…" I paused, and glanced at the bath again as a sudden, unpleasant thought struck me. "It's big," I said. "Big enough for two people." Actually, it was big enough for three or four.

"There's plenty of room," Edward replied. "But I've only been in it on my own."

I arched a sceptical brow. "Really?"

He nodded, his face open and honest. "Really," he said.

"You never had company in here?"  
"Never."

It was surprising, how happy that made me. But then I tensed a little as I asked my next question.

"When did your last relationship end?"

"About eighteen months ago." He took a step closer, his hand brushing mine.

"So it's just been for you?"

"So far," he said, and the hope in his eyes, in those two words, made me tingle. He was so close, I could feel the warmth of him. His fingers twined with mine.

"Would you like to see more?" he asked. His gaze flicked briefly to my lips and my heart picked up as I moved in closer.

"Yeah," I said. "I would."

For a fleeting, heart-thumping second, I thought I might claim that kiss, but his phone rang in the other room. Loud and clear. I stepped back.

"The Star Wars theme, Edward?"

"That's Tracey, my PA." He frowned. "It's her ringtone. She's a big Star Wars fan."

"Ah."

He tugged his hand through his hair, conflict in his eyes. "I told her not to contact me this afternoon unless it was life or death."

"Well, you'd better answer then."

He gave my hand a squeeze, then jogged out of the bathroom and down the hall. I followed, stifling a laugh when he almost skidded on the smooth floorboards as he rounded the corner into the living room.

His conversation was brief, but obviously not good news. "A truck's broken down in the harbour tunnel," he told me, scowling. "Traffic's backed up. Tracey's ordered my taxi to come an hour earlier so I make the flight in time. I need to be at the registration dinner tonight."

"How soon then?"  
"Half an hour. And I haven't packed."

"Oh."

He sighed. "I should show you the remote controls first."

"Do you have time?"  
"Plenty."

There were two remote controls, lots of buttons, but it wasn't as complicated as it first appeared. The flatscreen was massive, the sound system was brilliant, but my eyes focused on the bottom shelf, at those albums.

"Are those photo albums?"

Edward seemed slightly self-conscious. "Er, yeah."

"I remember you saying you like photography."

He nodded. "I know most people store their images digitally these days, and I do that too, but I also like to keep them this way. It's not every photo I've taken, just a few, I suppose you'd say, special shots."

A few? There were a dozen albums. "You take a lot of photos, then?"

"I don't have the same detailed recall anymore. Photos help me remember those details my human memory can't."

I'd never thought of that and my heart stung a little. "You've lost your memories?"

He nodded. "Some. Others are less detailed, faint. I remember your truck was red, but I don't recall the licence plates. I know you had things pinned on the noticeboard in your room, but I can't remember what they were." He picked up the remote, hit a button and music filled the room. Something soft and classical. "You liked Debussy," he said. "I remember that."

For some reason, I felt like crying. "Do you remember the day in the meadow?"

A wistful smile curved Edward's lips and he took my hand, pulling me with him as he walked backwards towards his bedroom. "You wore a tan sweater and blue jeans," he said. "We drove in your truck. I sparkled in the sun for you before behaving appallingly. But you trusted me not to hurt you and you couldn't know what that meant to me. Afterwards, I carried you on my back while we ran to your truck, you almost passed out, and then…I kissed you. You couldn't know what that meant to me, either," he finished softly. "There was more," he said, smiling as we walked through his bedroom door. "But I think that covers the main things."

I was smiling too. "You weren't too appalling," I said. "It all feels like a very long time ago, now."  
"It was a very long time ago." I sat on the bed while he grabbed a suit bag from his walk-in closet.

"We were both so young."

"Well, _you_ were young."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," he said. "It's what I said to you that night on your doorstep, despite the years, I was just seventeen. Despite being so smart, I was incredibly stupid."

He took out a navy blue suit and two white shirts and zipped them into the bag. Then he went to the dresser in the corner and began rummaging through the top drawer. Beside the dresser was a rack with two guitars. I hadn't noticed them that day I snuck into his room. I'd been too focused on who was snoring in the bed. I hadn't noticed that the huge panoramic windows were actually sliding doors that opened onto the deck, either. Or that the bed was obviously king sized.

"Do you ever think about it?" I asked. "About Forks?"

"Sometimes," he said, holding an armful of socks and underwear. "Mostly in dreams. But if I was going to move on…"

"You can't live in the past." I sighed. "I know. It's been the same for me."

He dumped the clothes on the bed and went back into the closet. He reappeared a moment later with an overnight bag and dropped it on the floor.

I cocked my head, studying him as he headed back for the closet. "What about all the languages you spoke? Can you still speak them?"

He shook his head, reappearing with jeans and more casual shirts. He had two ties draped round his neck. "Not all. I was fluent in nine languages before, now it's three – French, Russian and, for some reason I can't fathom, Icelandic." He chuckled softly. "I don't know why those are the three that've stuck. I've kept a smattering of the others and if I worked on them they'd probably come back eventually, well, some of them. But I don't have time. It's the same with the degrees." His brow creased in a soft frown. "The engineering knowledge I've kept." Now he gave me a pointed look. "But the medical degrees, the music and English lit degrees, there are gaps, lots of details I've lost."

"Does it bother you?"

"For a while it did, but not anymore."

I held the bag open while he placed everything inside. Then he ducked into the bathroom and came out with a black toiletries bag, and added it on top. With a flourish, he zipped the bag closed. It was an obviously well-practiced routine.

"You've done this before," I said.

"Just a few times." His eyes twinkled. "But not usually with an audience."

I felt a smile curve my lips.

"Say something in Icelandic?" I asked.

"Get ég fengið þér eitthvað að borða."

"What does that mean?"

"Can I get you something to eat?"

He grinned and so did I.

"So can I?" he asked.

"Are you done packing? Do you have time?"  
"I'm done. With the clothes at least. And I'd be a bad host if I left without feeding you."

"Okay then, what have you got?"

"Everything," he smirked again, and heading to the kitchen. "I have a very healthy appetite."

As Edward opened the fridge door, my gaze fell on the dragon drawing that was still displayed there. Edward noticed, looking from the dragon to me.

"I don't have kids," he said.

"I know. You told me that first day."

He took the picture from the fridge door and handed it to me.

"Rose and Emmett changed very soon after I did," he said. "Barely two months. And about two years after that, they had a baby. A girl. Hannah. She's the artist."

I'd thought that after the past couple of weeks, nothing else could shock me. But I was wrong. My mouth fell open, and then when I managed to close it, the only word I seemed able to say, was "oh!" My mind tried to keep up, adding this new information to everything else I'd discovered, trying to find a place for it. And I came to a couple of conclusions: Hannah must be around six. And ex-vampires _could_ have kids.

"This is what you were going to tell me on Sunday, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Part of the Volturi conversation."

I looked over the picture, smiling at the glittery dragon and the shaky writing.

"So, you're an uncle?"

"I am." And I could hear the pride in his voice. "Uncle Nedwood."

"Nedwood?" I looked up, grinning and Edward shrugged.

"That's how Hannah said Edward when she was little. It stuck."

"How often do you see them?"  
"I get up there whenever I can. It's Hannah's birthday the week after next so I'll be flying up for a long weekend." He frowned and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "I'm not sure what to get her. I'll have to start thinking about that at some point."

I held out the picture and Edward put it back in place on the fridge door.

"Will you tell me what you were going to say on Sunday? Do we have time?"

Edward nodded.

"Take a seat," he said, motioning to the stools at the counter. He topped our glasses, then he grabbed some cheese from the fridge, some nuts from the pantry, and pulled up a stool for himself.

"They were living in Toronto and Hannah was almost a year old," he began without preamble. "They'd been to the park for the afternoon and were walking back to their car. It was twilight and a vampire came out from behind some trees." Edward scowled slightly. "We're human now," he said. "Real flesh and blood and bone, but vampires can detect something different about us. There's something in our scent that hints at what we were. Carlisle says it's very subtle, but it's there. Anyway, the breeze must have been blowing the wrong way and the vampire caught wind of them and got curious. He followed them to the car."

"Oh no…"

Edward nodded. "Hannah was in her stroller. Rose was panicking and Emmett was in full protective mode when he sent her ahead with the keys and told her to lock herself and Hannah in the car while he stayed back to confront the vampire."

I tried to shut out the image of red eyes glowing in the fading light. Edward picked up his glass and drank; a long, deep swallow.

"What happened?" I whispered.  
"They eyeballed each other for a moment. Emmett asked him what the hell he wanted. There were a few people around the place, which was good because a vampire won't usually do anything if there are witnesses. He just looked Emmett up and down, very confused apparently, then said he didn't want anything and walked away. Emmett hightailed it to the car and he and Rose left Toronto that night and drove to Esme and Carlisle in Alaska. I'd been in Australia for about six months by then and they decided the next day to put in the immigration paperwork and follow me."

I could see why they packed up and moved. I wasn't surprised. I probably would have done the same.

"Are they happy here?" I asked.

"Very." Edward said. "They made a home, Emmett found work as a builder, and a year later they had Max."

Max. Another shock. "Um, are there any more kids?"

"Number three is due in three months."

"Wow."

I popped a cube of cheese into my mouth. "I'm guessing the Volturi wouldn't be happy about Hannah and Max, then."

"They'd be very interested in Hannah and Max," Edward said darkly. "That's why I haven't mentioned them to you before now. The less people who know the real truth, the less chance of anything going wrong. If you didn't want to see me again, there was no reason to tell you. When I thought I had a chance…" He gave me a shy smile. "I let Emmett and Rose know before I said anything to you."  
"They know about me?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Yes."

"What did you tell them?"

"That I wanted to try again."

"What did they say?"

"That you'd be crazy to have me." He shrugged one shoulder.

"Mm, they're probably right," I teased.

"Probably." He sighed.

I wasn't sure if my brain could hold everything I'd learned since Edward had come back into my life. Surely something would have to give way to make room. I grabbed a handful of nuts and chewed slowly as I thought.

"The Toronto vampire, do you think he'd go to the Volturi about what he saw? Are the chances still the same as getting hit by a meteor?"

"Very close," Edward said, pushing his glass slowly back and forth. "I did the maths once."

My eyes widened. "Really? You actually worked that out?"

He nodded. "The vampire population here is incredibly small, climate and geography have seen to that. And the Volturi are almost as much a danger to their own kind, as they are to humans. They're easily irritated and you don't want to mess with them. If the Toronto vampire bothered to travel to Italy with his suspicions, he might be rewarded for bringing valuable information, or punished for wasting their time with vagaries he can't prove. More likely the latter, considering he couldn't be certain about what he saw, or smelled. Aro is the biggest danger. He has the gift of tactile telepathy, so with one touch he can see every thought you've ever had, but with the Toronto vampire he wouldn't see anything conclusive, only confusion. Most vampires avoid contact with the Volturi at all costs. The risks are too great."

"But doesn't Carlisle know them?" A long-forgotten memory came back. "The night-time patrons…something…" I trailed off, unsure.

"Night time patrons of the arts," Edward nodded. "Carlisle checks in with them from time to time but the Volturi never actually know where he lives. We always moved around too much for that and they don't keep an address book." He smirked. "And time means something very different to vampires. Ten years is like a week. Carlisle last wrote to Aro, Caius and Marcus in the 1980s so he could wait another seventy or eighty years before he writes again and they'd think nothing amiss. And by then…" He spread his hands. "Rose, Emmett and me, we won't be an issue anymore."

And that suddenly took my thoughts in a whole new direction.

Edward was going to die one day. There would come a time when he wouldn't exist. He was as mortal, and vulnerable, as me and if I could walk under a bus tomorrow, so could he.

The realisation jolted through me, the shock of it making me gasp.

"Bella?" Edward's concern was clear in his face.

"Fine," I said, smiling quickly, swallowing hard. "I'm fine. Just thinking." I cleared my throat. "Life's short, huh?"

"It is," he said. "Every moment counts."

I took a long swig from my glass as Edward reached for his phone.

"Would you like to see a picture of Hannah and Max?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Sure."

He swiped at the screen, then placed the phone on the counter in front of me.

"Oh!" I smiled as a little story unfolded over the next five or six photos.

Hannah and Max were feeding chickens. Hannah looked very much in charge, clearly trying to show Max exactly what to do, while Max seemed equally determined to do his own thing. In the final image, Rosalie had stepped into frame, taking charge. My mouth fell open at the sight of her. She was clearly pregnant, her face fuller, hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"She looks like somebody's mom."

"Um, she is," Edward said.

"Yeah, I know. But…she's still beautiful, but so different. She looks happy." She was smiling.

"She is. Incredibly happy. Emmett too."

"Are those their chickens?"

"Yep. They have chickens, and dogs and a guinea pig that's the most vicious animal I've ever come across."

I snorted. "More vicious than a mountain lion or a bear?"

"The mountain lions and bears were scared of _me_ ," he said. "The guinea pig's afraid of nothing. Max is the only one it lets near. Actually, it would have made a good vampire, I think…" He was interrupted by his phone. It was a text from Tracey.

"Taxi's approaching," he said, and glared at the laptop and pile of papers at the far end of the counter.

It took him only a moment to shove his laptop in its satchel along with some of the papers, and then disappear into his room. When he came back out he was wearing a pair of jeans and a leather jacket over a white t-shirt.

"Keys," he said and started tugging at his key ring.

"Don't you have a spare?"

"No," he said. "This is the only one." He placed it in my palm. A second later, a car horn sounded out the front. Edward cursed softly under his breath, but I still heard it.

"I have to go," he said. And again, just like at the train station, everything was moving too fast.

I stood and he came closer, barely an inch between us. This was it. This would be the moment. Edward's eyes fell to my lips, but I didn't want to rush this, and neither did he, it seemed. He took my hand.

"I'll call you," he said.

"Okay."

"If you need anything…"

"I'll let you know."

The horn sounded again, and Edward squeezed my hand before walking out the front door and into the waiting taxi. I waved goodbye from the porch before going back inside.

The place seemed so empty.

"What now?"

I wandered through the living room, picking things up, putting them down again. I turned the television on, then off. I thought about unpacking my bag, but ate more cheese instead. I felt restless, unsettled. Our conversations had gone in so many different directions, I could barely get a handle on anything we'd discussed. And then another missed opportunity just before he left. I looked around, the burn of frustration prickling through me. "Wine," I decided, and helped myself to a glass of white from Edward's wine rack.

I was sitting on the back deck, enjoying the ocean view and thinking about Hannah and Max, Rosalie and Emmett and vicious vampire guinea pigs. I tried to let all the thoughts wash over me, just accepting them for what they were, without analysing or thinking too deeply about them. My mind needed the rest.

I'd forgotten to tell him about Wednesday's museum visit and made a mental note to mention it next time we spoke, and maybe tease him about checking how his handiwork was holding up. He really had a talent for design and architecture and my mind drifted to that magnificent sunken bath, and how many bottles of bubbles it would take to get a decent cover of froth, when I heard a car pull up out the front, and the sound of hurried footsteps.

I stood up, curious, and walked back inside, just as the front door burst open.

"Edward?"

He strode through the living room and stopped in front of me, green eyes blazing.

"Wh..what about the traffic?"

"Fuck the traffic."

Despite the fierceness of his gaze, his hands were gentle as he cradled my face. My soft gasp belied my suddenly frantic, racing heart, and I could feel the tremble of Edward's fingers as he slowly lowered his face, and kissed me.

The world stopped then and there was nothing else but Edward, and me.

His lips, soft and warm, gently parted mine, and a low groan escaped him. He wound his arms round my waist, bending his body over mine as I fisted my hands in his hair, holding him to me as my lips answered his. This kiss was slow, and deep, his tongue seeking mine as he pulled me closer, hard against him, so I could feel the frantic pounding of his heart in his chest. His lips were a promise of forever, his arms told me he'd never let go.

When he finally pulled back for breath, my knees were weak. Edward cradled me to his heaving chest, his hand tenderly stroking my back, and I felt like my world had been thrown up in the air and now I was floating back to earth. We didn't speak. The only sound was the crashing of the waves and a dog barking in the distance. Time ticked by. An hour? A second? Then I felt Edward's lips on my forehead. I looked up into brilliant eyes and a smile of heartbreaking tenderness.

"I have to go," he whispered.

"I know."

"I'll be back Friday."

"I'll be here."

He kissed me again. A sweet, soft press of his lips against mine, and then he was gone, jogging back through the living room, through the door, and I heard the taxi leave.

I pressed a finger to my tingling lips where I could still feel him.

It was going to be a long three days.

 **-ooo0ooo-**

A/N: Thank you so, so, much for the amazing response to the last chapter. This Edward is different, and all your kind words and messages and encouragement meant more than I can say and I appreciate it very much xx

And a huge thank you to Melanie for her beta skills, MWAH! xx

Did you know Melanie has hit the New York Times best seller list with The Contract? Yep, she did. If you get the chance, check it out - The Contract by Melanie Moreland. You'll love to hate Richard : )


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

It took about half an hour, and a hearty grumble from my stomach, for me to come properly back to earth.

Sort of.

Sitting on the deck, watching the crash of waves on sand, I touched my finger to my lips and smiled. If Edward had wanted to remove any doubt I might have about his feelings, he'd succeeded.

I traced my finger along my bottom lip, closing my eyes and remembering again the gentle ferocity of his kiss. The subtle tremor of his body as he held me to him.

Was this what had been burning beneath the surface when he was seventeen?

"Wow... _Edward…"_

So many emotions, so much feeling, conveyed in just one kiss, and a sudden shyness caught me off-guard. He'd be back on Friday. I felt my cheeks heat with a delicious anticipation.

"One step at a time," I reminded myself, because there was still so much to consider.

I had feelings for Edward. Strong feelings that were a messy mix of past love and new. I was hopeful we would find a way forward, but my position with the uni was only for two years and Edward seemed to be a permanent fixture here.

Sydney had been his home for five years, he'd bought a house, he was fixing up a kombi to drive down the coast one day, and he had family settled in Queensland. And there was the whole Volturi thing which meant he was safer here. So no, I didn't think he was going anywhere in the foreseeable future. But that last thought made me wonder; if the Volturi have rules about humans and vampires, were Edward and I in danger back in Forks?

I was thinking about that when my phone sounded from my pocket, making me jump.

It was Marc. I hadn't heard from him since he'd called last week to cancel the trip to the Hunter Valley.

"Hi," I said, quickly redirecting my thoughts and focusing on my friend. "How's your cold?"

"Flu," he corrected. "Yeah, not too bad. Getting there." He sniffed loudly. "Listen, I'm sorry about Sunday but this has really knocked me around. I'll make it up to you."

"No, it's okay, you don't need to make up for anything."

"Yeah, I do. You shouldn't have missed out because of me."

"Actually, I didn't miss out. I ran into an old friend, he and I went together."

"Yeah?" There was surprise, and genuine relief, in Marc's voice. "An old friend, huh?"

"Mm…"

"Okay, I won't probe. But I'm glad because I've been feeling bad about telling you how great it all was and convincing you to come and then pulling out. But I still owe you a dinner for fixing the database."

"Nah, it's all good, don't worry. Oh, but hey, I've got something to tell you, my archaeologist friend!"

I'd been planning to call him later tonight anyway, but I quickly filled him in now about my behind-the-scenes visit to the museum tomorrow.

"I think one of the Curator's will be there," I said. "I'm really just tagging along and I don't know what the etiquette is, but if I can find a way, do you want me to mention you? Ask if there's someone you can contact about openings? Or is it not a good idea?"

I was surprised when my suggestion was met with laughter.

"You're kidding me? That's one of the reasons I was ringing you. I was going to say, after all the networking I did at the launch that night, I've managed to score myself a meeting with the Exhibitions Curator."

The grin stretched wide across my face. "That's great. So the motorbikes will go back to being a hobby instead of an income?"  
"I hope so. Which reminds me, I've been eyeing off some new leathers we've just stocked, I should buy them while I still get a staff discount. Hey, do you know the name of the Curator you're meeting tomorrow?"

"Er, no."

"If it's Marion Tinsley, check her out for me, yeah? She's the one I'm meeting with so it'd be good to know what she's like."

"What she's _like_?"

"You know, is she a crusty old academic, or young and groovy." He chuckled. "It'd give me an idea what to expect, how to present myself."

"Just be _you._ Why don't you Google her?"

"I have. There's not a lot of info, just the basic stuff on the museum website. No photo. No career history."

I sighed. "I'll see what I can do. No promises, though. I'm not going to be weird and try to start a conversation about her pet peeves or anything."

"I know, I get it, no expectations. But thank you. Hey, did I tell you my latest idea? To take the bike across the Nullabor to Perth?"

Marc was chatty, excited about his meeting and his plans to ride across the country, and by the time we'd said goodbye the sun had gone from the sky and I'd moved inside, turning the lights on as I went. My stomach was seriously growling now. I'd planned to unpack first, but stopped in the kitchen instead.

"Oh, wow, Edward, did you shop for me?" The walk-in pantry was stocked like supermarket shelves, practically overflowing with variety and choice. Or was it just to accommodate that healthy human appetite? And it seemed Edward had quite the sweet tooth, judging by the four boxes of Turkish Delight on the middle shelf.

I kept exploring and found the freezer loaded with steaks and spare ribs and a couple of frozen pizzas.

Front and centre in the fridge, amongst the cheeses and deli meats, was a stainless steel bowl with a plastic lid, and my eyes widened when I peeked inside.

Mushroom ravioli.

My heart tightened a little, and just as I was wondering if this was a coincidence, or something more, my phone rang again.

This time it was Edward.

"Hi," he said. "I thought I'd call before I get on the flight."

"Hi," I said, smiling down at the container.

"How's your evening so far?"  
"Good. I'm organising dinner. I'm having mushroom ravioli."

There was a pause, and then Edward's voice was hesitant. "I remember you ordered it that night in Port Angeles. But if you don't like…"

"I do like it," I said quickly. "I do. Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he said, and the happiness in his voice was clear.

"It smells really good," I said, inhaling. "Where did you get it?" There was another pause, and suddenly I understood. "Oh my God, you _made_ it?"

"It gave me a chance to use the pasta maker," he said. "I hope it tastes alright. I tried some. It seemed okay."

For a moment I was speechless, barely hearing his words as I stared at the meal he'd made for me with his own hands.

"When? When did you have time to do this?"

"Last night."

"So, you can cook?"

He laughed a little. "I manage," he said. "Steak sandwiches are my speciality."

From steak sandwiches to mushroom ravioli?

"Edward, I…" In the background, I could hear a tannoy announcement. "Oh, is that for you?" I asked.

"My flight, yeah," he said. "They're calling it now."

"Oh. Well, you'd better go, I guess."

"Probably."

But neither of us said goodbye and nobody hung up. As the seconds ticked by, I began to giggle. Then I heard Edward's deep chuckle.

"I should go."

"Or you'll miss your flight."

"And then I'd have to come back home."

"You would." My heart skipped. "You'd have to get the red-eye in the morning."

"I would."

"But then, you'd miss the registration dinner tonight."

"Mm…"

I was holding my breath as the tannoy rang out again. Edward sighed. "Friday?"

"Friday," I said, exhaling slowly. "Now get going because I have mushroom ravioli to heat up."

I was rewarded with another laugh, and then a warm good night. "Sleep well," he said.

While my dinner heated in the oven, I went looking for plates and bowls and discovered the pasta maker at the back of a cupboard. Still in its box, it looked brand new, and I couldn't resist checking it out.

Some of the accessories were still in sealed plastic bags. At the bottom of the box was the receipt. With the date on it.

"Oh, are you _serious_?"

He'd bought it yesterday.

He'd bought a pasta maker, and a good one too, just to make me mushroom ravioli.

It was a completely ridiculous, over-the-top, unnecessary, thing to do.

And so very Edward.

It was funny that he'd remembered that tiny detail from so long ago, especially when I'd only ordered the ravioli because it was the first thing on the menu and I'd been too dazzled by him to look any further.

I slid the box back into place, with a giddy feeling in my stomach and a smile on my face.

It seemed he could still dazzle me, even from another state.

-ooo0ooo-

After dinner I went for a walk on the beach, thinking hard as I strolled almost as far as the headland and the lighthouse. When I came back I put on the sound system, flicked through Edward's many play lists and chose one simply called _Mixed._ Then I sank into the comfy leather sofa. The strains of a classical piece filled the room with such clarity that when I shut my eyes, I could have been in a concert hall. Or maybe the musicians could have been here in Edward's living room with me.

"Like having my own private orchestra," I murmured, smiling, remembering summer afternoons in Edward's bedroom, listening to music. Back when we lived in our own little bubble, before the world and reality intruded.

The music ended and the next piece shook me out of my memories, and jolted me sharply into the present.

"You're into daft punk, now?" This playlist _really_ was a mix, and highlighted even more the fact that Edward was new to me in so many ways. As I listened, my eyes fell on the photo albums lined up along the shelf.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. Part of me wanted to grab them and get a good look at Edward's new life where he liked daft punk and steak sandwiches, and part of me was scared of what I'd find. I stared at them for a moment, and shook my head.

"Nope," I muttered and went to grab my tablet and unpack my few things.

When I came back into the living room it was an old song playing. One from the 1950s, and I recognised it as the song that had played on the radio that day we drove home from the meadow. He'd known all the words, and sung along as we'd held hands over the console. I'd been so curious about him then, and I was curious about him now. I glanced at the albums again, chewing on my thumbnail as I debated with myself.

"Nope," I finally said. "Not yet."

So I sat down, wrote my Mom an email, worked on my research paper for a while, and texted with Rachel, while trying to ignore the call of Edward's recent history on the shelves behind me.

It was getting late when I turned off the stereo, but my mind was churning and I was pretty sure sleep wouldn't come easily, so I went into the bathroom and filled the sunken tub that Edward had told me was so relaxing.

I took a glass of wine in with me, and my phone for its _sleepy_ playlist. Candles would have been nice, but I couldn't find any and I didn't want to go snooping too much, so I left the hall light on and the door open just a crack, and slipped into the warm water.

"Ooh, yes…"

In the dark, with the moon shining through the skylight above and the sound of the sea outside, I could feel my tension float away. I hadn't realised how big the skylight was. Now it almost seemed as if there was no ceiling at all, just the night sky above me.

"You designed this well, Mr Cul…Mason."

I raised my glass, toasting him. As I sipped, I picked up my phone to select the music, and then nearly dropped it when it rang in my hand.

"Shit…crap…" There was some fancy juggling and more swearing before I accepted the call. "Edward!"  
"I thought I'd say goodnight. Did I wake you?"

"No, no…" I set down my glass carefully on the floor and gripped the phone harder. "I was just about to choose some sleepy music." I pulled my free hand through my hair. "How was the registration dinner?"

"Fine," he said, but his voice was weary and I was pretty sure he wasn't going to need sleepy music tonight.

"Are you ready for your presentation tomorrow?"

"As ready as I'm going to be."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic."  
I could practically hear his shrug.

"I'd rather be working on new projects than talking about something I've already done. But there are some sessions scheduled over the next couple of days that I'm interested in so it'll be good to sit in on those."

The talk of his work reminded me about my planned visit to the museum and Edward chuckled when I shared my news.

"I'm surprised you'd want to risk entering a building designed by an under-qualified engineer," he said, referencing our conversation from earlier in the afternoon.

"I'll take my chances," I grinned. "I'll let you know if I see any cracks."

"Cracks? Oh, there won't be any cracks, Bella," he said, voice low and amused. "I can assure you of that."

I giggled. "Okay. I'll believe you."

"Actually, you'll be seeing the ceiling in action before I will," he said. "I think this must be the first exhibition in the new wing, is it?"

"I think so."

"I'll have to check it out some time, you can take me on a tour."

"It's a date."

He laughed again and it was such a lovely sound.

"How was your dinner?" he asked.

"Delicious, thank you very much."  
"Yeah?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yeah." I thought about telling him that it hadn't been necessary and he shouldn't have gone to so much trouble, but I stopped myself. "I'm not just being polite, either. It _was_ good. You could consider a career change," I teased. "You cook well."

"I read recipes well."

I giggled and Edward's chuckle became a yawn.

"Are you in your hotel?"  
"Yep. Stretched out in the bed."

"Oh?" That visual was pretty easy on the imagination.

I didn't know if it was the wine, or the warm water, or maybe just the secrecy of the dark, but my inhibitions seemed to slip a little.

"Above the covers?"

There was a beat of silence before Edward answered. "Under." He cleared his throat. "Ah…where are you?"

I could feel my cheeks heat as I took a sip of wine. "In your bath."

There was a brief silence, then a soft, "Oh." There was more throat clearing and I could feel my face burning.

"Are you enjoying it?" he asked.

"I am. I was just toasting your design."

"Toasting?"

"Uh huh. Wine. Lights off. Just me and the moon."

"Hang on…" Edward said and I could hear muffled sounds from the other end of the line. A moment later he was back.

"What were you doing?" I asked.

"Turning off the lamp and opening the blinds and now..." There was more rustling, "I'm back in bed."

"You're looking at the moon, too?"

"It's a good one, isn't it? Bright and clear."

"Really bright," I said, grinning up at the silver orb. "It's a full moon, I think."

"Mm, I don't think it is just yet. There's a bit missing at around eleven o'clock, see?"

I peered closely and he was right. "Yeah, I see. Edward?"

"Yes?"  
"Are you pointing right now?"

"Er, yeah, I am," he chuckled. "Tomorrow night will be a full moon."

I swirled my free hand through the water, then reached for my glass.

"Can you see a face on the surface," I asked.

"No. Can you?"

"Uh huh. That shadow in the middle, that's the nose. See?" I took a long sip.

"Nope," he said. "I can see a camel, though."

I nearly spat my wine. "Where? Where can you see a camel?"

"The shadow you think is a nose, I think is a hump. And then that silvery part above it?"

"Yeah?"

"That's the neck, and the head."

"Um…mm…I think…I'm not…"

"Bella, if you have to tilt your head that far, you're not seeing it."

I straightened up immediately. "How did you know I was tilting my head?"  
"The subtle change in your breathing and your voice."

I narrowed my eyes at the phone. "That's creepy, Edward."

"That's nearly a hundred years of super senses and studying humans."

It was a surprise to hear him reference his vampire life, and it took me a second to get back on track. "Okay, but seriously, who sees a camel on the surface of the moon?"

"Me. You really can't?"

"No."

"What about the tree?"

"There's a tree now?"

"Behind the camel. That darker area that looks like, well, a tree."

"Nope, you're wrong. That's an ear."

"Too high for an ear."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. Look again. If it was an ear it would be in line with the nose, not above."

"Ears aren't…" But as I drew my finger across my face…

"Bella, you're checking your own ear right now, aren't you?"

I didn't want to laugh. I wanted to be indignant, but it was no use. I giggled as I stared up at the sky, ignoring his question.

There was more rustling coming from the other end of the phone.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Rolling onto my stomach."

"Can you still see the moon?"  
"Yep. I'm lying across the bed. I've got myself tangled in the sheets, now." He laughed softly and it made me smile.

"Edward?"  
"Yes?"  
"Which side of the bed do you sleep on?"

"Um, the right. At least, I _start out_ on the right. That's where I fall asleep. But I usually wake up in the middle."

Like that first day I saw him, sprawled out in the middle of his bed, on his stomach.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I like the left."

"Ah."

I moved to the other side of the bath, where a faint ray of moonlight touched the water. I ran my fingers through the silvery ribbon, making it ripple.

"Where were you when man walked on the moon?"

"Driving a fast car down a mountain pass in Italy."

I wasn't sure what I'd expected him to say, but it wasn't that.

"It was a convertible," he went on. "And I was speeding away from the Polizia, trying to lose them and get back to the villa before the sun came up."

"Why were you speeding away from the police?"  
"Because they were chasing me."

I rolled my eyes. "Why were they chasing you?"

"Because I was speeding."

It was hard not to groan, especially when I heard him chuckle. "I liked driving faster than the law allowed, just for fun. You know that."

"True."

"The police didn't think I should be indulging myself, so…"

"Did they catch you?"

He snorted. "Of course not."

"Did you miss the moon landing?"

"I caught the end of the broadcast. Emmett and Jasper acted out the beginning for me."

"That would have been something to see," I giggled.

"Oh, it was," Edward laughed, too.

"Do you mind me talking about the past? About you as a vampire?"

"Not at all. There aren't many people I can talk with about it." I could hear rustling again.

"What are you doing now?"

"Just shifting around. Grabbing an extra pillow. How's the water? Are you getting cold?"

"No. It's lovely." I swished my hand around and wriggled my feet. "I feel like I'm skinny dipping in a private lagoon. But you should get candles."

"Candles?"

"Mm hm. For mood and atmosphere."

"And skinny dipping. I'll remember that," he said and his voice had taken on a slightly dreamy quality.

"Have you ever been skinny dipping?" I whispered.

"Sometimes," he whispered back, surprising me. "But only at night, when the beach is deserted. It's usually a spur of the moment thing, if I'm out there walking and the mood just strikes." He hesitated while my imagination partied with that particular visual. "Have you ever…?" he asked.

"No. I've wondered about it, though."

"Well, maybe one day…" he trailed off.

"Maybe…" I said, smiling.

My mind wandered in the silence that followed.

"I've been thinking about that kiss," I said.

"Me too."

I patted my fingers gently on the surface of the water, as though playing piano, making soft _plink plink_ sounds.

"You love me," I said.

"I do."

I nodded, biting my lip.

"I want this to work between us," I whispered. "But I can't say it back, not yet."

"I know."

"It doesn't mean that I don't."

"Bella, it's okay," he said, voice gentle. "I understand."

"But Edward?"  
"Yes?"  
"I'm _so_ glad I saw your name in that database."

-ooo0ooo-

The museum was busy with tourists and school kids on excursions. I stood by the entrance to the new wing, waiting for Gordon and texting Edward about the extreme comfy-ness of his spare bed and my eight hours of solid, unbroken, sleep.

I paced back and forth a little, looking around at the displays in the foyer, and wandered to the entrance of the _Technology_ exhibition in the old wing. There was a long corridor with lots of doors off each side and I wondered how on earth that related to technology. It actually looked a little creepy and I stepped back again.

"Bella! Hi! Sorry I'm late." Gordon came hurrying towards me and I typed a quick 'gotta go, talk later' text to Edward. "Nice to see you again."

"You too."

We shook hands. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Just got here." I smiled. "Thanks again for inviting me. You're sure it'll be okay?"

"Yes, yes, I've let them know I'll be bringing someone with me and it's all good." He beamed. "Well…" He took a deep breath and motioned to the grand double doors behind me. "Shall we?"

Beyond the doors was another world; a Viking settlement complete with huts and longboats, shields and swords, and market-day stalls bearing jewellery and goblets and clothes. All of it authentic, all of it used by real Vikings almost a thousand years ago. And there was no red rope to keep me back.

When I looked at the ceiling, my mouth fell open with a gasp. It had been set so the panels were at slightly different heights and angles and a woman with a laptop was staring upwards, obviously controlling the projected images of heavy grey clouds drifting across the surface. It looked so real. The uneven ceiling gave it such depth, like a storm was actually rolling in. With the added sound effects of distant thunder, it was amazing. On the night of the opening I'd begun to wonder about the point of the ceiling. Now I could understand the hype.

"Wow, it _is_ good, isn't it?" Gordon was staring upwards, too.

"Actually, I know the guy who designed it." And even I could hear the note of pride in my voice.

"Really?" Gordon looked at me, surprised. "That's interesting, who…" His gaze shifted to just past my shoulder. "Ah, here's Marion, the Curator, hello! Marion Tinsley, this is Bella Swan."

I couldn't believe my luck. Or Marc's luck.

Marion Tinsley was a small, bird-like woman of about fifty and I made as many mental notes as I could to tell my friend. As Gordon did the introductions Marion smiled a small, polite smile.

"Hello," I said. "Thank you so much for allowing me to come and see."

"Oh, it's no problem at all," she said, and her accent told me she was English. "It's lovely to meet you."

As we shook hands she glanced down, and her eyes shot open wide.

"Oh my…" Her gaze darted quickly to my face. "That's quite a scar," she said, and let go of my hand.

"Er, yes." I rubbed at the silvery crescent on my right wrist. "Dog bite when I was two. I don't really remember it." That was my standard response whenever someone mentioned my scar, which wasn't very often.

Marion gave another smile, more awkward this time, her eyes shifting back and forth, from me to the doors. "Well, ah, that's probably a good thing," she said. "That you don't remember, I mean. Good that you don't remember." She was so flustered, obviously embarrassed. "I hope I didn't upset you, I'm so sorry."

"No, it's fine. Really." I smiled, trying to put her at ease.

"Ah, well, good." She looked from me to Gordon, who was now a short distance away checking the discreet advertising banners that stood near the entrance. "Do you work at EastWest Travel, too?"

Now _I_ felt awkward. I didn't know exactly what Gordon had told her about me, and I was wondering if the truth would mean a quick trip to the exit.

"Er, no. I'm a marine biologist but I'm very interested in history. I live next door to Gordon's Mum, that's how I know him."

"Ah. I see. A scientist, and an American?"

"Yes."

She nodded, smiling, and I thought she seemed slightly relieved for some reason. "Well, come with me Bella and I'll give you a quick tour while Gordon meets with our marketing girl about his banners and logos and such."

Now she was brisk and all business as she showed me round the mock-village, giving me details of the daily life and routines of a Viking community, answering my endless questions, and it was fantastic having my own private tour guide.

"We're mostly unpacked now," Marion was saying as I studied one of the long boats. "It's just a matter of tweaking a few things here and there and getting the special effects right."

"The whole exhibition is incredible."

"It is rather, yes." She kept walking and I followed.

"Is Viking history your area of specialty?"

"No."

I thought she might say something more, and when she didn't, I wondered if I could pump for a little more info that might help Marc. "Is there an area you do specialise in?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Do you mind if I leave you here? I really should have a quick chat with Gordon before he leaves."

I realised now that she'd walked us back to the grand entry doors without me even realising. I guessed my tour was over.

"Of course," I said. "And thank you so much for showing me round."

"It's been a pleasure," she replied, smiling politely but not quite meeting my gaze. I offered my hand but she was already bustling over to Gordon who was in discussion with a tall woman holding a pile of what I assumed to be exhibition programs. As I watched her go I made a new mental note; Marion Tinsley was what Renee would call _a quirky bird._

While I waited for Gordon I snapped a quick shot of the stormy ceiling and sent it to Edward.

 _Your ceiling is a thing of beauty. Not a crack in sight, even if it looks like it'll let the rain in._

-ooo0ooo-

Storm clouds gathered for real that night. It didn't rain, but the sky turned grey and the wind blew in from the ocean, so I ate my dinner inside, curled up on the sofa. Afterwards I called Marc and told him what I could about Marion. Then I tried Edward's number, but it went to voicemail. A second later he texted me.

 _Skype call with UK, sorry. Everything ok?_

I remembered back to yesterday, when I'd arrived at the front door while he was in the middle of his phone call. He'd mentioned setting up a conference call, then.

 _All good_ , I messaged back. _Talk to you tomorrow x_

He sent me back a smiley face and a kiss.

I turned on the tv and grabbed the remote and lost myself in the lifestyle and history channels, flicking back and forth between bedroom makeovers and Anne Boleyn, while curled up comfortably in the corner of the squashy leather sofa. When I started yawning, I decided it was time to say goodnight to Henry VIII's second wife.

I didn't indulge in the bath but the shower was still pretty amazing. Like standing beneath a waterfall while the ocean surged outside. I stayed there until the water ran cold, letting the tense muscles in my neck unwind, letting my mind wander.

As I slid between the sheets a while later, ready for sleep, when my phone rang.

"Edward?"  
"Is it too late?" he asked.

"No, not too late. Is your call finished?"

"A little while ago, but then there had to be a debrief with the Sydney office afterwards." He yawned. "I didn't want to go to bed without saying goodnight, though."

"Goodnight," I giggled.

"Goodnight," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

But instead of hanging up, we talked. All about my day and the exhibition, and his day and the keynote address. What we'd had for dinner. Sydney traffic. Melbourne trams. And whether it had been bad form for him to take two desserts from the dessert trolley this evening. On that last point we agreed to disagree.

As I teased him about his healthy human appetite I realised how nice this felt, just talking about normal everyday things, appreciating and laughing about the little moments, without the shadow of the supernatural or the past.

Then the conversation shifted to my upcoming projects, and his. We discussed the environment, and then politics, and somewhere around midnight we began solving the world's problems as I snuggled beneath the doona.

At some point we both began to yawn. And then in mid-yawn, Edward swore.

"I have to be up in five hours!"

I checked the time, shocked to see it was one o'clock. "Oh my God, me too!"

And then we started laughing, the sort of over-tired, uncontrollable giggles when everything is suddenly very, very, funny, even if it's not.

"You've lost your stamina," I teased, giggling. "What about the all-nighter you'd had the day I turned up here?"

"What?"

"The Stormtrooper guy."

"Nick? We'd been working on a project together. He has the office next to mine."

"Oh. So he's an engineer, too? I thought he was your video game buddy?" I could barely get the words out through my giggles. Edward snorted and that made me laugh more.

"No," he said. "I haven't played video games in a long time. Except for the occasional bout of Assassin's Quest."

"Oh! I love that game."

"You play?" The smirk was clear in Edward's voice.

"I used to. Actually, I'm pretty good," I said, smugly.

"That sounds like a challenge."

"It doesn't _sound_ like it."

"Oh, really? You wanna play when I get back?"

"You sure you're up to it?"

"Oh, I'm up to it. Game on, then."

"Game on."

Despite being so tired, I couldn't sleep after Edward and I had finally said goodnight. I tossed and turned, flipped my pillow over, but nothing helped. Then I realised my mouth was dry from all the talking and decided a glass of water was what I needed.

Coming back from the kitchen, my gaze fell on the bookshelves and the photo albums. I stopped and ran my fingers along their spines, caressing them, as if I might _feel_ the stories held inside.

Edward's stories.

Stories that made up part of the new life he'd created for himself.

I was feeling braver tonight, and with sudden burning curiosity, I slid an album from the middle of the shelf and carried it back to bed with me.

I didn't think he'd mind me looking. I was sure if there was anything he didn't want me to see he wouldn't have left them out, but still, I felt a little trepidation as I opened the cover.

"Oh, wow…"

Each photo had been enlarged and given its own page, and the close-ups of leaves and rain drops and flowers were simply stunning.

He really did have a gift for photography.

Leaves, shot through with sunlight and every vein visible. Rain drops like glass balls reflecting the sky. A wave breaking on a rock, the spray of water arcing dramatically, the droplets catching the sun so they sparkled like diamonds.

There were pages of them, the most incredible shots I'd ever seen. And then I realised what this was probably about.

"All the little details he doesn't see anymore." I traced the outline of a spider web, decorated with dewdrops that each reflected a tiny rainbow.

He'd told me once how he could see the veins on the leaves as he ran through the woods. Despite the beauty of the images, I felt a small stab of sadness at what he'd lost.

I turned the page and…

"Oh my God, you grew a _beard_? And your _hair_?"

He was sitting outside a tent with a craggy looking hillside as his backdrop. The sky above him was a vivid blue, and the wind tousled his hair.

The beard and hair suited him well. So did the smile that graced his lips.

"Where are you?" I whispered.

The next page gave me my answer.

"Oh my God, it's Mount Everest!"

His sun-burned face beamed at me from the photo as he stood on top of the world. Snow and ice dusted his beard, his goggles were pushed up to his forehead. The scenery surrounding him was truly breathtaking, but not as breathtaking as his smile.

His joy radiated brighter than the sun that shone so brilliantly above. It was almost tangible, and I was smiling too. Smiling so hard, it hurt. I touched his face, as though I was sharing the moment with him.

"Congratulations," I whispered, and my heart felt like it might burst with happiness for him. Beneath the photo, in his beautiful handwriting, he'd written, _One down, six to go…_

I stared at the photo for a long time, finding my own happiness in Edward's _Everest smile_ , as I now thought of it. Feeling his joy and triumph at conquering the world's greatest mountain. A pinnacle of human challenge. But my eyes eventually started to close, and the yawns came thick and fast, so I forced myself to close the album and switch off the lamp.

The image of Edward stayed with me and I realised as I shut my eyes that, if I had the chance to go back in time and change things, I wouldn't do it. Not if it meant Edward would never have that moment.

Then I yawned once more. "Six what?" I wondered, before I finally fell asleep.

-ooo0ooo-

It rained all day on Thursday; a slow drizzle from a flat, grey, sky that wasn't nearly as interesting as the museum's stormy ceiling.

On Friday the weather was worse with the rain pounding and the sea roaring, but when Edward came through the front door carrying a massive bunch of red, long-stemmed, roses, it seemed to me as though the sun was shining after all.

"Hi," he said, shaking raindrops from his hair and smiling a lopsided smile that made my heart skip. "I'm home."

"Hi." A bubble of excitement and anticipation welled inside me and came out as a giggle. Edward's smile went up a notch to spectacular.

He dropped his luggage and I came out of the kitchen where I'd been making coffee. He held out the flowers, his smile, shy.

"It occurred to me on the way from the airport, that I've never given you flowers. Very remiss of me."

There were 24 of them. Beautifully wrapped in marbled paper and tied with a silk ribbon, they must have cost a ridiculous amount of money, and I almost told him he shouldn't have, but I stopped myself.

"Thank you," I said, taking them from him and not expecting them to be as heavy as they were. "They're beautiful."

"You're welcome," Edward said, eyes shining with a tenderness that stole my breath.

There was the faintest hesitation in him, before he slowly lowered his face. I stood on my toes. He gently nudged my nose with his. His lips just barely brushed mine.

"Welcome home," I said.

"It's good to be home." He curved one arm round my waist, pulling me to him.

This kiss was slow and tender. Edward's lips moved with mine in a gentle give-and-take that was all about 'coming home' and it made my heart sigh and my skin tingle. I wound my arms around him carefully, trying to keep the flowers from getting bumped or crushed. He pulled me closer. I rested one hand on his chest and could feel the heavy pounding of his heart. When the coffee machine began to gurgle, I felt his grin against my lips, and giggled.

"Coffee?" I asked as he pulled back and I accidentally thwacked him in the side of the head with my roses. "Oh, sorry!"

"It's fine," he grinned, then leant in for another kiss. "And coffee would be great, thank you."

He didn't have a vase, but we found a saucepan that would have to do until I got the flowers back to Rachel's.

"I'm sure there's some arty expression for it," I said as we grinned at the beautiful bouquet in the stainless steel pot.

Then Edward sat on a stool at the island while I did the barista thing.

"Are you watching me?" I asked.

"I am."

"Why?"

"Because you're the best thing I've seen in three days."

So of course I had to pull a silly face and make him laugh.

"There's some mail for you on the bookshelves," I said.

He got up to look. "Electricity account. Junk. Letter from Esme." He smiled.

"I thought it might be from her," I said. The address had been written in a script so beautiful that only a vampire's hand could have done it. "I can't think of the last time I got a letter. A proper letter, I mean."

"She writes often," he said. "She feels it's more personal than an email, and I think I agree with her."

"Do you write back?"  
"I do." He slid the envelopes back where they were.

"You're not going to read it?"  
"In a little while."

I brought our coffees to the sofa and we sat beside each other, stretching our legs out on the ottoman.

We drank in silence, watching the sky and the wind dancing with the waves while we sat warm and dry and cosy. We held hands between us and there was no need for words, it seemed. Just being there, together like that, said it all. It was enough.

"It's a great view," I said after a while.

"It's why I bought the house." Edward gave me a lazy smile. "Do you like it here?"

"I love it. Thanks for letting…" I stopped as he shook his head and wrapped his arm around me. I leant my head on his shoulder, breathing him in.

"Can I ask you something?"

Edward nodded, eyes curious. "Of course."

"Esme's letter made me wonder, why didn't the rest of your family change?"

"Carlisle considered it," he said and I felt his lips in my hair. "Esme, too. But in the end Carlisle decided that, with his gift and his heightened senses, he could do so much more for his patients by remaining a vampire."

"And Esme?"

Edward frowned softly. "Her human years were not happy ones," he said. "She had no real desire to go back."

I remembered the conversation I'd had with Esme so long ago, about her baby, but I wondered if maybe there was something more.

"What about Alice and Jasper?"

"Alice has no memory of being human. Being a vampire is all she knows, so becoming human wasn't something she gave much thought to. And Jasper wouldn't change without her, but he also felt…" Edward paused, staring at our hands, joined on his thigh. "He had doubts about how well he'd handle the adjustment. Until he met Alice, his life as a vampire had been _intense_ , I suppose you could say. Do you remember what I told you about him? About his time with Maria, and the wars?"

"Yeah, I do."

Edward nodded. "It's his belief, and I think he's wrong, but he believes there's not enough human left in him, to make a successful change."

Now I was frowning. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"When we become vampires, we bring part of our human selves with us. Sometimes that humanity is buried deep, but it's always there. Jasper thinks otherwise. He thinks more traditional vampires lose most of their humanity over time. Even though he's vegetarian now, he thinks he's lost too much of his human self to make a change."

"That's so sad."

Edward shrugged. "It is what it is," he said. "There's no convincing him otherwise."

"But isn't he an empath? Surely that proves him wrong."

"I agree with you, but as he won't change without Alice, it doesn't really matter what it proves or what we think."

It was awful to think that Jasper felt that way, but then I remembered his wild eyes and his teeth snapping viciously just inches from my face. Maybe he would find it difficult to adjust.

"Are you still close with them? With Alice?" The few times he'd mentioned his sister had made me think things weren't as good as they could be.

"Things have changed," he said slowly. He stared down at my hand, watching as he rubbed his thumb gently over mine, back and forth. "It's a long story. And it's complicated. And messy."

My stomach knotted and I tightened my hand around Edward's.

"I've got time. If you want to tell me?"

Edward seemed thoughtful, then he nodded, as though making up his mind. He lifted his eyes and the humour from before had gone from them.

"Okay," he said softly. "I'll tell you."

-ooo0ooo-

 **A/N: The support I'm receiving for this story is amazing. I'm blown away that so many people are loving this new Edward, thank you all so much. I don't think I have the words to tell you how much your kind reviews and messages have meant to me xx**

 **I've received a number of anonymous reviews from readers asking me questions, but unfortunately I can't respond if you've signed in as 'guest'. I'm happy to discuss the story and answer questions, and have done with many other readers, so please sign in if you'd like to chat about the changes in Edward and Bella. I don't bite, I promise : )**

 **A few readers have been worried that Edward has forgotten a lot of his past relationship with Bella. That's not the case. All he said was that he misses some little details. Tiny things, like her number plate or the things pinned to her noticeboard. He hasn't forgotten her at all. But we know a human brain could never hold what a vampire brain can, so he'd have to lose something when he became human. Luckily, it's just a few little gaps here and there : )**

 **I know this story isn't to everyone's taste, I get that. If you choose not to keep reading, I absolutely respect that and I understand. There are so many great stories out there, and choice is a wonderful thing : )**

 **This chapter is unbeta'd, so any mistakes are mine, all mine, lol! And it's really late at night (or early in the morning) as I post this so there could be any number of typos I've missed, despite checking and re-checking and checking again. If so, I apologise, and please let me know if you find something and I'll fix it : )**

 **This chapter was a bit long coming, I know (real life stuff). But the next one is already underway and should be up much quicker.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

Despite it only being late afternoon, the room was slowly darkening thanks to the weather. Edward reached out for the lamp on the end table and switched it on, creating a soft pool of light. I waited for him to speak, but the silence stretched and he stared down at our hands, clasped on his leg.

"I'm just thinking," he finally murmured. "That I don't know where to start."

"How about the beginning?"

He raised his eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting in a wry smile.

"Which one?" he asked, and then groaned as he dropped his head back on his shoulders. "Alright, I'm just going to start with the short story. Basically, Alice has struggled with us becoming human. She feels abandoned and rejected, and she's also terrified of something happening to us, and it's affected her relationships with us all. Especially with me."

He turned to look at me. "That's it in a nutshell. Would you like the long story, too?"

"Um, I think so, yeah." I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Because right now I don't really understand. You were all so close."

"We still are, I think," Edward said. "But it's different." He looked down at our hands again, rubbing his thumb gently back and forth over mine. "For Alice, our change has been like losing half of her family. More than half. And because she doesn't remember anything about her human life, we are the only family she's ever known. So everyone she loves and cares about, is immortal, and practically indestructible. She's never had to consider a time when one of us wouldn't be there anymore. Or at least, that used to be the case." He gave a dark chuckle. "To quote Emmett, she can't handle us having an expiry date. And she hates it when he puts it like that." Despite the laugh, there was sadness in his eyes. The faint smile faded from his lips. "The rest of us, we've all experienced loss in our human pasts. We have an inbuilt understanding, if you like, of the inevitable, that everything comes to an end, whether we want it to or not. But Alice has no frame of reference for that. Intellectually, she understands it, but _emotionally_ …it's been difficult for her."

My heart tightened in my chest as I tried to imagine how that would feel. "Poor Alice," I whispered. "I can understand her being worried for you all, but why does she feel abandoned? I know Rosalie and Emmett chose to be human, but it wasn't your choice."

"I know," Edward nodded. "But Alice can't understand why we won't change back. Why _I_ won't change back."

"Oh." Now I thought I was starting to get it. "So, for Alice, it's like you've chosen human frailty, and certain death, over your family of immortals. Over her."

"Exactly"

"Wow." I blinked at him. " _Can_ you change back?"

"We believe so."

Edward kicked off his shoes and stretched out a long leg, nudging the footstool closer so he could rest his legs on it. I joined him, and he gently rubbed his foot against mine. I snuggled deeper into the sofa, and rested my head on his shoulder.  
"There's no reason why we couldn't change back," Edward went on as I rested my head on his shoulder. "The venom would just do its thing, but we couldn't become human _again_ after that. It's not like a revolving door."

I noted the faint throb of pulse at his neck, the healthy flush of his skin.

"Why not?" I asked.  
"Well, we barely made it back to human the first time." Edward's hand squeezed mine softly. "Carlisle believes our hearts wouldn't handle it a second time. And having been through it once, I agree with him. There's no way it could happen a second time."

My head spun with more questions. I remembered him saying it took eight days to change and now I wanted to ask him what it had been like, but I also wanted to know about Alice and the Cullens. It was like being pulled in a dozen different directions all at once. I took a slow deep breath, closed my eyes, and listened for a moment to the rain dancing on the roof.

One thing at a time, I reminded myself.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked.

"Fine." I opened my eyes. "Just trying to get my head around everything. What about Carlisle and Esme? And Jasper? Are they handling the, um, expiry date?" I hesitated over the words, not caring much for Emmett's phraseology, either.

"They are," Edward answered. "Although when we're together it's not something we focus on. But they all know that we're happier this way, that it's what we want. There's an acceptance from the others that Alice hasn't found yet."

"So, that's why things aren't good with Alice?"

"It's part of it," Edward said, carefully disentangling himself and standing up. "Can I get you something to eat?"

The sudden shift in conversation threw me for a second. "Huh? Er, no. I'm good."

"Do you mind if I…?"  
"No, of course not."

He switched on the kitchen light and went to the fridge where he gathered an armful of condiments and deli meats and set about making a sandwich with great care and precision as he kept talking.

"The nature of our relationship has changed." He licked some mustard off his thumb. "I guess you could say Alice and I were like a team before, an alliance of sorts, our gifts created a bond between us. We could practically communicate without words. But that's changed now."

"Because you can't read minds?"

He nodded. "That, and my life has taken a very different direction. Our interests and goals don't match up as much as they used to." He frowned as he opened a tin of beetroot, and I got up from the sofa and took a stool opposite him.

"I guess that's to be expected," I said.

His stilled, frown still in place, beetroot tin in one hand, knife in the other, as though lost in deep thought.

"It is," he said slowly. "Although now, her insights into my future feel invasive in a way they didn't before." He shifted his gaze to me. "That's hypocritical of me, I know, considering I used to see her every thought, but if I'm honest, I resent the intrusion."

"I think anyone would. I know it used to bug me sometimes."

He offered me a fleeting smile. "I'm sure there was a lot we did that bugged you."

Then he got back to work on his sandwich, layering on the beetroot slices on top of the roast beef and mustard.

"For a while after I changed, I felt like she was constantly watching over my shoulder. All the phone calls offering advice, telling me what she'd seen, felt like interfering, even though I knew it was because she cared. But it felt as though she couldn't trust me to manage life as a human without her help." A dark chuckle fell from his lips and I wondered what had prompted it.

"Do you still feel like that now? That she's watching?"

He shrugged, rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck. "Sometimes. When it's a big decision. Or a personal one. I wonder if she's seen."

I chewed on my lip, taking this all in. I could see exactly why Edward and Alice would clash now.

"You still seem pretty intuitive, though," I said. "Sometimes it feels like you know what I'm thinking, more than when we were back in Forks."

He grabbed the block of cheese and started cutting into it.

"Carlisle thinks that's just me, and probably why I could read minds as a vampire – it was an enhancement of something I already had. And back in Forks…" He paused, staring down at his half-made sandwich. "I had a lot to learn." He shook himself a little then added the cheese. "Which brings me to something else."

"About Alice?"  
"Yes. This is the other part of the story. The other beginning. Are you sure I can't get you something?"

"Er, no. All good. Thanks."

He switched off the kitchen light, leaving us with the distant glow of the living room lamp. Then he closed the sandwich with a slice of bread on top, pulled up a seat at the counter, and started to eat. It occurred to me that, right now, the food might be something of a distraction for him. Over the sound of the rain, I could hear a faint tapping, almost urgent in its rhythm, which was almost certainly his foot against the wrung of the stool.

"Something happened, back in Forks, not long after I left." It seemed that his face had paled slightly now, though in the dim light of a rainy afternoon, I couldn't be sure.

"What was it?" I asked. "What happened?"

"Alice saw a vision of you, diving from a cliff."

My eyes widened as the memory came rushing back. "She saw that?"  
Edward nodded. The tapping sound grew faster, and louder, and I don't think he was even noticing it.

"She saw you jump, but she didn't see what came after. She assumed…" He swallowed and looked away.

"What? She thought…no! No, I wasn't trying to kill myself, no way!" I nearly fell off the stool with the shock of it. "That never even occurred to me! I mean, those months after you left were hard, I'm not going to lie. I used to wonder how I was ever going to get through the next _minute_ without you, but my thoughts were always about _how was I going to get through it,_ never about _not_ getting through."

"You always were stronger than me." Edward smiled sadly. "Thank God."

There was something in his tone, and a barely-there shiver snaked its way along my spine.

"What do you mean?"  
He put his sandwich down and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Alice was worried by the vision, of course. So after telling Rosalie what she'd seen, she drove to Forks to find out for herself what had happened."

"Alice came back?"  
"Briefly. And she realised she'd been mistaken when she saw you outside your father's house, sitting in your truck with Jacob Black. You were clearly very much alive and well."

I remembered that afternoon so clearly, though I hadn't thought of it in years, and I wondered how much Alice had seen, and heard.

"Where was she?"

"In Carlisle's car, parked across the street from you."

My mouth fell open. How could I not have seen her? I wondered what I would have done if I'd known she was there.

"Where were you?" I asked, almost scared of the answer.

"Brazil."

That definitely wasn't what I'd been expecting.

"Brazil?" For a moment I was swept back again, to those dark, painful, days when I'd imagined Edward having fun somewhere, free of the uninteresting little human who had become a bore and a nuisance. But the expression on his face told me that was far from the truth. "You weren't exactly dancing in a conga line, were you?"

"No," he said. "Far from it."

"So, what were you doing?"

"Tracking Victoria."

Oh my God, I was going to need a Valium after all these trips down memory lane. My hands gripped the edge of the stool. My foot joined Edward's in tapping out a symphony of nervous tension.

He took another bite of sandwich, his jaw working as he chewed hard. I vaguely wondered if he might grind his teeth away at the rate he was going.

"Why?" I asked, but I thought I already knew the answer.

"I wasn't going to leave you unprotected."

"But, what were you planning to do, exactly?"

He blinked at me.

"End her."

He said it so simply, so casually, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, and to hear the words come like that from a human being as he wiped mustard from his chin, was chilling. Goosebumps rose on my skin.

"Did you?"

"Eventually."

"Um, how?"

He arched an eyebrow. "You want the details?"

"I…I think so." I hugged myself now, barely breathing as Edward considered a moment.

"I jumped from a tree, trapped her against a boulder, and separated her head from her body."

He kept his eyes on me, gauging my reaction. My stomach rolled. My gaze fell to his long-fingered hands that had so carefully made the sandwich he now ate. The goosebumps made a return.

"In Brazil?"

"No. Canada. Tracking isn't my forte, I'm afraid. She led me on a false trail south while she double-backed to Forks."

"Wow, this is all just…so this was all happening while I was just going to school and hanging out with…oh! That's how you knew about the werewolves, isn't it?"

Edward nodded.

"So, did Jake know about this and not tell me?" The note of indignation was clear in my voice.

"No. Jacob suspected, they all did, I could see that when I caught their thoughts, but they didn't know for sure," Edward said. "We kept our distance, letting the wolves focus on the Park and the newborns Victoria had brought with her, while we corralled her further north. But yes, that's how I know about the wolves."

"So the hiker you saved, the newborn that attacked her was one of Victoria's?"

"Yes."

I was having trouble keeping track of what I was learning and how everything fitted together – my mind was all chaos and memories and I wondered how we'd got onto this subject, anyway.

"What does this have to do with your relationship with Alice?"

Edward took the final mouthful of sandwich, chewed carefully, and leant towards me. He folded his arms on the counter in front of him, just like that night in Port Angeles, so long ago, when he'd revealed his secrets to me. I leant in, too.

"Alice saw you were alive, but in the meantime, Rose had called to tell me about the vision of you cliff diving."

The picture was becoming very clear now. "And you thought…oh, Edward. Why did Rose _do_ that?"

"She wanted me to come home. She was worried about me, in her own way, and she thought if there was no more reason to track Victoria…" He shrugged the rest of his sentence, his tone was cold. "So I got the call from Rose and…" He paused, the past showing painfully in his eyes, and that shiver snaked along my spine again. This time, it brought with it a memory.

An English assignment. Romeo and Juliet. A whispered conversation.

"You were going to provoke the Volturi, weren't you?"

Surprise flickered across Edward's face. "You remember that?"

"Of course I do." But now I was hit by the full reality of what we were discussing. "Oh my God, Edward, tell me you weren't going to do it!"

But I could see in his eyes that ending his existence had been exactly what he'd planned.

"I called your house but there was no answer. I called the station and asked for your father but the officer I spoke to said he was at the funeral home."

I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. "It was Harry Clearwater," I said. "Harry's funeral. Charlie was helping Sue with the arrangements."

"I learned that later," Edward said. "But before I knew…" His voice trailed off. "Alice saw a vision of me in Italy."

I lifted my head, my voice flat. "What were you going to do?"

"Step out into the sun in a busy square."

I shuddered, unsure if I wanted to hear any more, but I didn't stop Edward when he continued.

"Alice called to tell me the truth, but I didn't believe her. I thought she was just trying to stop me."

"But you eventually believed her."

"Not until I called your house again."

My breath stopped, my mouth open in a silent gasp and I realised I was hugging myself.

"Alice was speeding back to Forks, she had some plan to prove that you were alive, but she ran out of gas just outside of town. When she got out to run the rest of the way, she caught Victoria's scent on the wind and knew you were in danger." He exhaled sharply. "Her next phone call to me changed everything. I thought at first maybe it was just another ruse to stop me, but I couldn't risk your safety, just in case."

"So you tried again."

"Charlie answered this time, but I could hear your heartbeat in the background, and then your voice when you asked your father who it was. I told him I'd dialled the wrong number." There was warm relief in his eyes now. But I wasn't sure how I felt and took a couple of deep breaths as Edward continued.

"This is why I'm not sure where the beginning of the story is," he said, puzzled now, it seemed. "Did the issue with Alice start when I became human, or was it rooted in my decision to go to the Volturi? Either way, it doesn't change the fact that, because of what I attempted in the past, Alice is, amongst all the other things I mentioned, worried about what I'll do _now_ if something happens to you. That's why she doesn't want me to be in contact with you. For both our sakes, yours and mine."

"What about Rosalie? What about the part she played?" He could have died because of her interfering.

"I made my peace with Rose," he said, and left it at that. I got the feeling it might be a story for another time and I was happy not to pursue it right now – my head and heart were already on overload. But that seemed to be a regular occurrence, lately.

Edward sat back and spread his hands. "I think that's it," he said, then his eyebrows pulled together in a soft frown. "Actually, I probably could have condensed that whole explanation into a couple of sentences."

"No," I whispered, trying to take it all in. "No, you couldn't. I can see why it's messy and complicated, but, geez, Edward," I blinked back some tears. "I don't know whether to be angry at you for even thinking about going to the Volturi, or grateful that you saved me from Victoria, or sad about you and Alice, or, I don't know. I mean, when you left me it was bad enough, but do you have _any idea_ what it would have done to me if…if…" It seemed like anger was the way to go and it burned through me suddenly, taking the place of those missing words, but I found some others. "You idiot! You… _stupid fucking selfish idiot!_ How could you even think about… _"_

"I'm sorry!" His voice surprised me. The depth of emotion in just two words, like he'd pulled his heart from his chest and laid it before me. "I am so very sorry."

My own heart stuttered, my anger fading as Edward got off his stool and came round to me. Gently, he took my hands in his and I wondered exactly what it was he was sorry for.

"For so many things. For leaving you. For hurting you. For the lies and arrogance. You told me that first day here it was too late for apologies, and maybe it is, but that doesn't stop me being more sorry than you will ever know."

There was such simple sincerity in his words, such heartfelt truth reflected in his eyes and in his touch. I had honestly believed an apology would make no difference to me. I'd said it was too late. But I realised now that I had needed to hear it, after all.

A new tear spilled onto my cheek. Standing before me, Edward looked down at our hands, biting hard into his bottom lip.

"I can't change anything," he said, and the faint tremor in his voice went straight to my heart. His hands tightened round mine. "But if you give me the chance, I'll spend the rest of my human life trying to make up for what I've done."

This wasn't where I had expected the conversation to go. But sometimes things happen this way, I knew that. Conversations take twists and turns, like life, and hopefully bring you where you want to be. Or _need_ to be. Like now.

"No," I whispered and Edward's panicked eyes flashed to mine. "I don't want you like that." I tugged one hand from his so I could touch his cheek and he leant into my touch, his eyes closing as he did so. "We can't have a future if you're always trying to make up for the past. It won't work that way."

He opened his eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes. Just tell me..."

"No," I said again. "Look, I don't like what you did back in Forks, but I understand why you did it, and that's what helped me deal with it. It's why I went to the winery with you. It's the reason I'm here now, in your house. Because I understand the _why_ , even if I didn't like the _how_."

I reached round him, hugging him to me, needing to feel the warmth and life of him in my arms. He gathered me close.

"You'll forgive me?" he asked. "I didn't think I could ever ask for it, but…"

I realised then, as his eyes searched mine, that as much as I had needed his apology, he needed my forgiveness just as much.

"You're forgiven," I said, and his shoulders seemed to sag, as if relieved of some great weight, and I thought I felt something ease inside me, too.

"We've really gone off track, haven't we?" I sniffed, wiping at my eyes.

"We seemed to, yes." Edward reached for a napkin holder tucked next to the microwave, grabbed one and handed it to me. "Blow," he said softly, so I did.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because I know how good it feels to do that."

"Blow your nose?"  
He nodded and I smiled too, surprised.

"Really?" I said. "You like blowing your nose?"

Edward shrugged. "Sure, when I need to. It's the little things, you know."

"That's true. You've gone off track again."

"Just taking a break from all the heavy."

We just stayed like that for a while, arms wrapped around each other while the rain pounded against the windows.

"I'm sorry about Alice," I whispered.

"Me too. I think we need to build a new relationship, based on who I am now. I've been trying but for her that will take time. We'll get there, though."

"Do you miss her?"

"I do."

I nodded against him, and squeezed him tighter. He rested his cheek on top of my head.

It had been quite a conversation, so much emotion, so much to process. Now, as Edward held me, it was like the calm after the storm, which was ironic given the weather.

Outside, the waves roared and crashed wildly onto the sand and the trees bent with the force of the wind. It was dark now, early evening, and the clouds made sure of a moonless night. In the distance, lightning flashed and crackled over the sea. Idly, I thought how it seemed the perfect setting for a gothic horror story, but here with Edward I felt warm and safe. His hand moved gently over my back, a slow massage that made me sigh and press closer to him.

"That's nice," I murmured.

I felt his lips in my hair. I pressed a kiss to his chest, letting the warmth of my breath travel through the linen of his shirt to the skin beneath, and I smiled at the little shiver of pleasure that ran through him.

"Edward?"

"Mm?"

"Do you think Jasper and Alice…"

"Bella," he interrupted.

"Yes?"  
He looked down at me, green eyes blazing. "I don't want to talk about my family anymore."

"Oh?" My heart picked up, and I smiled slowly, my body tingling with sudden anticipation. "Then let's not."

In a surprising, vampire-smooth, move he swept me into his arms and carried me to the sofa. Settling me in his lap, he kissed me sweetly, gently.

"Is this okay?" he asked, before beginning a slow, tender, exploration of my neck with his mouth.

"Mm…"

My eyes fluttered closed as I became lost in the feel of him, the _heat_ of him. His arms curled round me, holding me close as I arched my neck, offering him more of me. He worked his way over my throat, taking his time as we gradually slid down the leather until we were lying side-by-side.

While Edward's lips made their way to my collarbone, his fingers traced my ribs; a light, almost teasing touch that made me shiver and sigh. I felt him smile, and he moved on from my ribs to my waist, gliding over my hip until his hand rested on my thigh. All the while his lips never left me.

The heat from his touch burned through my jeans and when I rubbed my leg against his, his grip on my thigh tightened. Then he slowly moved his hand lower, inch by torturous inch, down to my knee, and smoothly hitched my leg up and around his hip.

I gasped, and pushed my leg between his. He moaned softly, and it was clear just how much he wanted me.

Driven by instinct and my own desire, I pressed myself against him. Hard.

Edward's rough groan sent my heart soaring. His hand moved up from my leg, over my stomach, and grazed the side of my breast. My skin burned and my blood pounded. I slid my hand beneath his shirt, clutching at his back, feeling the roll and flex of solid muscle. My body ached for him in a way that was new to me, and almost frightening.

He rolled to the side, bringing me with him, but the sofa wasn't wide enough, and we landed on the floor with a thud, me on top.

"Oh!" I pushed up on my hands, breathless and panting, holding myself above him as I stared down into his concerned eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly, lifting his head.

"Um, uh huh."

I blinked down at him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his chest heaving as his hands gripped my arms.

"I'm sure."

He sighed, and let his head drop back onto the floor. "Well, that wasn't too smooth of me, was it?"

"Oh, I don't know," I tried to smile as I caught my breath. "You rolled very gracefully and cushioned my fall. I'd say that's pretty smooth. Everyone's dignity is still intact." Edward huffed a laugh, but now, with the mood a little cracked rather than broken, I realised how quickly things had been moving, and it pulled me up short.

Edward seemed to realise, too.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then, we shared a look, and something passed between us.

A silent understanding that tonight might be too soon. And that anticipation was sweet.

"We have plenty of time," Edward said, smiling.

Then he let go of my arm to push back the hair that hung round my face. The smile faded softly from his eyes and the look of tenderness and love that took its place was almost heartbreaking.

"You are more beautiful than I remember," he whispered.

I grazed my fingertips over his stubble, smiling at the fine lines that graced the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you."

Surprise flickered across his face. "And you've learned to take a compliment."

"I have."

He smiled, a slow wistful smile, tinged with sadness.

"I never forgot," he said.

"I know," I smiled. "But you tried not to remember?"

He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, me too," I said. "I tried not to remember you."

I lowered myself down beside him, and nuzzled into his side, hooking my leg loosely over his. His arm curled round me. His fingers played in my hair.

"The photo of you on Facebook…"

His voice was soft, tentative, almost as if he was giving voice to some vague, wandering thought. I waited, wondering if there would be more, and curious that he would mention it.

A moment later, Edward let out a long, slow, breath, as if he'd been holding it in a long time. Very gently, he touched my face.

"I would have expected to be jealous when I saw it, and the jealousy did come, believe me, but my first reaction, the very first thing I felt, was joy."

"Because you'd found me?"

"Because you were happy." He smiled, eyes shining. "The look on your face. The happiness I saw there, the… _joy,_ for a moment it didn't matter that the look was for someone else, it just mattered that it was there, so plain on your face. You were so happy."

"Edward…"

He lifted my hand, and gently kissed my fingers.

"I would have done _anything_ for you to always look that way."

He closed his eyes, and mine filled with tears as understanding bloomed in my heart. Sometimes it takes way more love, and courage, to walk away.

It wasn't just Alice's vision that had kept him from me.

"I'm here now," I whispered, curling into him.

"I know." He sighed. "And that's the miracle of it."

A miracle? Good timing? Coincidence? I didn't know. But whatever it was, I was planning to grab it with both hands.

The room suddenly lit up with lightning, and there was a boom of thunder. Both the lamp and kitchen light flickered, and went off.

"Blackout," Edward murmured, tracing my ear with the tip of his nose, making me smile.

"See? I told you the other night you need candles."

"Mm. I have camping lamps in the garage, will that do?"

"Not quite the same, but I guess so."

"I'll go get one."

"Okay."

But nobody moved. We stayed there, lying in each other's arms on the thick rug, listening to the rain. After a while, I began to giggle. Edward joined in.

"I think the sun's going to arrive before you get that lamp."

"I know," Edward went to get up, then stopped. "I just don't want to move," he chuckled, squeezing his arms around me. "I like it here."

"We can stay. Although, I will need to get up and go at some point."

His eyes flashed open. "Go?"

"Back to Rachel's. We agreed, I'd stay until you got back."

He blinked. "You're not serious? Bella, there's no way I'm letting you drive in this weather."

And the mood had whiplashed again.

"I'll be fine, Edward, and it's not up to you."

He sat up and gestured to the glass doors, disbelief in his voice. "Have you noticed what's going on out there?"

"I'll wait until it eases up," I said, sitting up too, but Edward was shaking his head.

"Look, if you're worried about sleeping under the same roof as me, it's okay, I'll leave and stay somewhere else."

"Oh? So it's alright for you to drive in the storm but not me?"

"Yes."

"And why's that?"

"Because I have a lot more experience behind the wheel than you. About seventy years more." In the shadows, I could just make out his 'beat that' expression, and I narrowed my eyes.

"But as a human, with human reflexes, I think I might have more experience. My ten years to your eight?"

Despite the dark, I could see the hardness of his glare. Or maybe I was feeling it.

He shook his head. "I'll go. You stay."

 _Me Tarzan, you Jane_ , I thought, rolling my eyes.

He stood up and headed for the kitchen counter, probably to get his car keys, but stumbled over his dumped luggage on the way. He swore under his breath and I tried not to laugh.

"Okay, I'll stay," I said. "If it means keeping you from breaking limbs as you stumble around in the dark."

From the shadows came a growl of a laugh, a deep, dark, chuckle that suddenly sent my blood racing.

"Very funny," he said.

"I thought so." But now there were fresh goosebumps on my skin as his shadow came towards me, and my heart kicked up a notch.

"You'll stay, then?" he asked.

I nodded, not sure if he could see.

The dark is a peculiar thing. People share secrets more easily. Inhibitions are loosened. Suddenly, I was feeling mischievous.

"I'll stay," I said. "If you can catch me."

"Oh? I think I could manage that."

The mood in the room shifted anew, pulsing now with a dark excitement. Outside there was another crack of thunder. I took a step back as Edward's silhouette came forward.

"But is this a good idea?" he asked, his voice a low purr. "In the dark?"

"I think so. It could be fun."

I was rewarded with another throaty chuckle.

"It could be," he said, side-stepping the armchair as I backed further away. "But you know I'll catch you." And like that, he was gone, his shadow simply disappeared and it was as if I was alone in the room.

"Um, do I?" I took a quick step away from the sofa, looking all around me. Where had he gone? My heart hammered as I headed uncertainly towards the hallway. The thrill of the game burned through me.

"You know I will." His voice came from the other side of the room now, near the sofa. I looked back and forth, head swivelling.

"How did you…I didn't see…"

Then I saw him, coming round the sofa. Adrenalin spiked through me, I gave an excited squeak and made a run for the hall, but he sprang suddenly, snaring me around the waist and I squealed as we skidded along the floorboards and almost crashed into the wall.

We crumpled in a heap onto the floor, laughing hard.

"Gotcha!" he grinned and kissed me as I sat panting between his legs.

"How…how did you do that?"

"What?"

"Disappear."

"It's called crouching behind the armchair, Bella. Your imagination did the rest."

"Well," I let out a slow breath. "I have a very good imagination then. That was fun. Scary, but fun."

"Scary?" He threw back his head and laughed.

"What?" I asked, grinning but not sure why, unless it was because I loved seeing him like this. "What's so funny?"

He shook his head, his teeth showing in his shadowed face.

"I'm thinking of all the times you should have been scared of me, and all I needed to do was crouch behind a chair?"

"Yeah," I joined in with his laughter. "Maybe if you'd sprung out from behind a bookshelf and yelled _boo!_ I would have gone running and screaming."

And then we were laughing again, until Edward's stomach grumbled. Loudly.

"Hey!" I said with mock indignation. "That's my line."

"Er, apparently I've stolen it." He looked a little embarrassed. "Dinner time? I think we've covered every human emotion at least twice in the last couple of hours and now I need sustenance."

I had to agree with him there. The afternoon had left me drained, and now that I thought about it, I was starving.

He stood and held out his hand to me. I took hold and he pulled me to my feet.

"We can't cook anything. No power."

"No power, no problem. Tonight I will introduce you to my favourite restaurant." He curled his arm around my waist and gently nuzzled my cheek. "And in the morning, I'll make you breakfast."

I placed my hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath. "I think I could get used to that," I said.

I heard the faint hitch in his breath, then Edward covered my hand with his and surprised me with a kiss; a slow, deep, kiss that went on and on and left me weak-kneed and breathless.

He pulled back, holding me to him, his voice low and rough as he spoke.

"I hope you do."

 **-ooo0ooo-**

 **A/N: Thank you so much for all your support and kind words. It means a lot to me that so many of you are giving this Edward a chance, thank you xx**

 **This chapter is unbeta'd (feel better soon, Melanie xx) so any mistakes are mine** **: )**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Just letting you know…this chapter has some discussion about Edward's ex-girlfriends.**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

Edward's favourite restaurant was a little Lebanese place called Cedars, only a ten minute drive away. It might have been even quicker if not for the rain, though the downpour had started to ease off.

As we walked through the door, Edward's arrival brought a cry of delight from a motherly woman whom he introduced as the restaurant owner, Lena. But the introduction got a little lost when she grabbed him in a hug that I thought might possibly break his ribs. Edward didn't seem to mind though. He hugged her right back, wrapping his arms round her too, and holding on tight.

This was seriously new to me. I was so used to him being politely aloof with humans, and the humans generally keeping their distance from him, that the interaction I was watching came as a shock. It took me a second to realise my mouth was hanging open.

Lena pulled back, frowning now.

"Where have you been?" she asked, smacking his chest. "You've been working too hard again, haven't you? Too many late nights over a computer."

When Edward gave a sheepish shrug, she shook her head. "And who's been feeding you, then? Ah, don't tell me you've been cooking for yourself."

"I'm actually not that bad," he chuckled.

"Hmm…" She looked him up and down, clearly unconvinced. "Bites of frozen pizza between emails is not eating," she scolded and I tried not to laugh as I thought of Edward's healthy human appetite and his groaning pantry shelves.

Then Lena turned to me, her smile back in place.

"Welcome, Bella, so lovely to meet you." She took my hand in hers, her expression so warm and genuine, it felt like I was being welcomed into her home.

"Table for two, then?" she asked Edward.

"Is the courtyard available?"

Lena's eyes widened, her smile became a grin and she shot a quick glance at me.

"Of course! For you, of course, yes. Just give me a minute." She patted his arm affectionately and then hurried towards the back of the restaurant, through a doorway hung with a beaded curtain, while barking orders to a waitress hovering nearby.

"The courtyard?" I asked, curious.

"Don't worry, it's enclosed, we won't get wet." Then he lowered his head, his words whispered close to my ear. "It's a more private space, people book it for romantic dinners. I thought it might be better, in case you wanted to talk some more."

"Ah, I see. But maybe I want a romantic dinner." I winked and he winked back before dusting some rain drops from my shoulders.

"I'm sure we could manage that," he murmured.

I felt his hand move from my shoulders, coasting slowly down my back, and coming to rest in the shallow curve down low. The warmth of his touch radiated through the layers of clothes to my skin beneath. When I sighed and leant against him, he slipped his arm around my waist, tucking me comfortably into his side.

"Lena seems lovely," I murmured. "Very welcoming."

"She is," Edward answered.

"You're a regular here?"

He smiled down at me. "You could say that."

"I think I can see why." I looked around, taking in my surroundings as we waited for our table.

Cedars had an eclectic sort of décor that really appealed to me. A mix of styles with lots of colour and art, it was moodily-lit with guitar music playing in the background. It really did feel like home and I just wanted to settle in and stay. And plenty of other people must have had the same idea, because the place was almost half full, despite the weather. Or maybe they were refugees from the blackout, like us. I quickly buried the niggling thought that suggested Edward had probably been here before on dates.

"Smells good, too." I inhaled, drawing the delicious aromas from the kitchen deep into my lungs.

"The food's fantastic," Edward said. "Lena's great, and the atmosphere's relaxed."

"A good combo."

"It brings me back again and again." He chuckled softly. "It's kind of like going to a friend's place for dinner."

"But you can turn up unannounced?"

"Yes, and they don't mind. Er, does that sound lonely and pathetic?"

"Just a bit," I chuckled. "No, not really. I get what you mean. And I'm sure you have other friends. Um, you do, don't you?" I added, teasing

"I do," he said, chuckling too. "Friends who invite me over, and who come to my place. Just like a real person."

His choice of words made me curious, even though he was joking around.

"You didn't always consider yourself a real person?" I whispered.

"No," he mouthed silently.

"Why? You were…"

Lena reappeared just then, so the rest of my question would have to wait.

We were ushered through the beaded curtain, and Lena told us she'd be back with some table water.

"What do you think?" Edward asked.

"Oh, wow, this is…"

"Quirky?" He smiled as he held my chair.

"I was going to say beautiful. But quirky works, too."

It really was like a cobbled courtyard, with wall lamps and a real, working, fountain in the corner. The back wall was all glass doors looking out onto a garden where the trees were festooned with lanterns. In the intimate space there was only the one small round table laid with two menus; the courtyard was obviously meant just for a couple.

"I think they open the doors to the garden in warmer weather," Edward said.

I realised, as I looked around, that he seemed just as curious as me.

"You haven't been in here, before?"  
"No," he said. "I usually come with friends and we sit in the main restaurant. Or sometimes I come alone."

"You eat alone here?"

"Sometimes. Or I come in to pick up a take-away."

"So that's why Lena seemed so surprised that you asked to sit here?"

The faintest of smirks graced his lips as he opened the menu in front of him. "Probably. She's been trying to marry me off for a while, now."

"Ma…marry you off?"

"Not seriously," he said quickly. "It's all in good humour. I'm a single man in my thirties and she wants to know why I'm not married yet. Every time I come in she asks."

"She didn't ask this time."

"I haven't been here with a date before."

I blinked, surprised. "You never brought one of your, er, girlfriends here?"  
Edward frowned slightly, considering. "Actually, now that I think about it, no."

This pleased me very much.

"Why not?" I asked.

"None of them live around here."

"Water!" Lena came through the curtain with a tray with a jug and glasses and set it down. "It's so good to see you again Edward, and to meet you, Bella. You must come often."

"I hope to." I smiled at Edward and he grinned as he nudged my foot gently beneath the table.

"Good." Lena nodded approvingly at me as she poured us each a glass.

Edward asked after Lena's family and she waved away his question, rolling her eyes. "Rima's given up uni to go travelling. I asked her, 'How is that going to get you a job? Who will employ you if your only qualification is a selfie on top of the Eiffel Tower?' but apparently I know nothing." She sighed and shook her head. "But tell me, how's Ren?"

Edward stiffened ever so slightly.

"He, er…he was hit by a car. A couple of months ago. I lost him."

Lena's hand flew to her mouth.

"I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay."

I looked from Edward to Lena and back again, my stomach tightening. She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered again and Edward nodded. "I'll be back soon to take your orders," she said softly before walking away.

Edward was unfolding his napkin, his face smooth. I wasn't sure what to say, this had come from nowhere. Then he sipped his water and gave me a quick smile.

"Ren was my dog," he said simply.

Surprise robbed me of speech for a moment as his words sunk in. _He'd had a dog._ And he'd lost him.

Edward seemed very busy studying the menu. I reached for his hand and squeezed. "I didn't know."

He squeezed back, then let go. "It's okay. Really."

"How long had you had him?"

"Five and a half years." He spoke casually, still staring down at the menu with a soft frown on his brow.

"A long time, then," I whispered.

"A while." Edward nodded, keeping his eyes down but I couldn't help but notice how his throat worked as he swallowed hard. "I'll tell you about him sometime."

And now obviously wasn't that time.

"I'd love to hear about him," I said, and took a sip of water, too. Then I opened my menu.

"Wow, it all looks so good. I'll have to get your recommendations."

Edward nodded again, but didn't answer. He kept his head bowed, seemingly fascinated by the many courses on offer to us. I took another drink from my glass.

"Oh, I should probably let Rachel know I won't be home tonight." I reached for my bag. "Unless the rain stops, of course. Then I can drive myself."

I was trying for distraction with that last comment. A change of subject and mood. It worked. Without looking up, Edward raised a single eyebrow. His lips twitched.

"With the roads still wet and flooded and street lights out all over the place? I don't think so, Bella. You're coming home with me."

He glanced up from beneath his lashes then, a smirk on his beautiful lips, now. I met his smirk with one of my own. Then as I checked my phone I saw that I had a couple of texts from Marc, sent a few hours ago.

"Oh no…"

"What?" Edward looked up sharply.

"My friend Marc…"

"The archaeologist bike rider?"

"Yeah. He had a meeting with the museum next week about a position there, but they've cancelled on him."

He'd been so excited, the disappointment would be crushing.

"Does he know why?" Edward asked.

"No, just that…oh wait, hang on." I scrolled through the second message. "Actually, I think he's just being a bit dramatic. The person he was meeting with doesn't work there anymore, so they've had to reschedule with someone else. It's a week later, now."

"Not so bad then." Edward smiled.

"No." Although that second text had me curious. "He was supposed to meet the curator who showed me through the Viking exhibit, Marion Tinsley. Seems a bit unprofessional to arrange a meeting with someone if she knew she was leaving."

"Maybe she didn't know." Edward picked up his glass and swirled it gently, letting the wine slide slowly up and down the sides.

"You think she was fired?"

"Not necessarily." He took a long sip, his face thoughtful. "There are lots of reasons why someone leaves a job unexpectedly." He shrugged and rattled off a list that included everything from a lottery win to family crisis. "Or, she might have found a new job somewhere else and resigned."

"You're probably right. At least they've rescheduled him." I typed a quick, appropriately positive response to Marc, and then a message to Rachel, before slipping my phone away again. "Did you ever meet her? Marion Tinsley, I mean?"

Edward shook his head. "My meetings were mostly at government level, but Charlotte and Nick from my team met with the curators early on in the project." He considered a moment. "The name's familiar though. If it's who I'm thinking of, Charlotte said she was jumpy, scared of her own shadow."

"That's her!" I said. "So it wasn't just me, then."

"Just you?"

I waved Edward's comment away. "It's nothing. She commented on my scar when we shook hands, and then nearly died of embarrassment because she thought she'd upset me. After that she was awkward with me for the rest of the time."

Edward's gaze fell to my wrist. He reached for me, taking my hand in his and tracing his thumb gently over the silver crescent on my skin.

"What did you say when she asked?"

"Dog bite," I answered brightly. "It's my standard answer whenever someone asks. Sometimes I embellish and describe the dog. It's usually a Rottweiler. Or occasionally an angry Poodle."

Edward cracked a smile, and I smiled back.

"I once told someone the scar on my arm was a shark bite," he said wryly before letting my hand go.

I wasn't too surprised that he'd say such a thing. It was very Edward.

"I bet they believed you, too."

"The way I told it, yes."

I'd seen Edward's bare arms a few times. Once when he was wearing nothing but a sheet round his hips, and a couple of occasions in a t-shirt. None of those times had I noticed a scar, and now I wondered.

"I don't remember seeing it."

He shrugged out of his jacket and leant his arm on the table. He pushed up the sleeve of his t-shirt just a little. "Look closely," he said.

It was there, high on his bicep. The table wasn't large, it was easy to extend my hand and lean across, tracing carefully over the jagged curve that was maybe half a shade paler than his skin.

"You did this when you saved the hiker?"

He nodded, withdrawing his arm as I withdrew my hand.

"Why does it look so much paler than mine?" I asked.

Edward lowered his voice, whispering his answer as he let his sleeve drop back down.

"I'm not sure, maybe because I was a vampire when I did it. The venom might have already started healing it before the effect of the human blood kicked in. The one on my neck from Carlisle, that's more like yours but it's still not very noticeable."

"It's faded because it's old?"

"I think it's more likely something to do with the transition back to human. Like when you make a copy of a copy, the image becomes less defined."

And then, as if he knew what I was thinking, he turned and cocked his head to the side.

"It's a way back," he murmured and I leant across the table again.

Almost hidden out of sight, beneath his ear towards the back of his neck, was a whitish crescent, smaller and neater than the scar on my wrist, or Edward's arm. I realised, as I studied it, that this was, effectively, the scar that brought him to me, and I smiled softly as I grazed my fingers over its curve. It was porcelain-smooth, and cooler than the rest of his skin. I closed my eyes and fell into the past, imagining for a moment it was the vampire beneath my caress.

It hit me then, that the boy I'd loved, who'd stolen my heart when I was seventeen, was truly gone. He wasn't attending class in some cloud-covered city or hunting mountain lions beneath a full moon. He wasn't driving a fast car on a night road with the headlights off, or hitting home runs that sounded like the crack of thunder and sent baseballs soaring for miles.

He would never do any of those things again.

And I wouldn't quietly wonder, when I was old and grey, about the beautiful young man with the amber eyes who was out there in the world somewhere.

The pang of grief was sudden and surprising.

My eyes were already closed, but I squeezed them tighter, letting the realisation wash over me. He'd told me in that clearing back in Forks that I'd never see him again, and he'd been right. I never would.

I felt him turn his head.

"Bella? Are you alright?"

His voice wasn't like velvet or music, but it was deep and warm.

His concern was familiar, though. I'd heard that question, that same gentle, caring, tone, many times before. Even if he was very different now, the Edward I'd loved was still here, I realised, along with the man I was getting to know.

I opened my eyes and smiled.

"Your hair covers some of it," I murmured, sitting back again. I let my memories go, focused on the human man opposite me and liked what I saw. "So, is that one from a shark attack, too?"

"Racoon bite."

I gasped a laugh. "You're not serious. People don't believe you, do they?"

"Yep. You'd be surprised." He grinned.

"I'll keep that in mind next time I'm asked. Or I'll tell people it was a vicious koala attack. I wonder what Marion's expression would have been if I'd told her that?"

Or if I'd told her the truth. And that thought brought another with it, and a shiver ran through me. "Um, Edward, you don't think Marion's reaction _means_ anything, do you?" The possibility that it might, hadn't occurred to me before.

"I doubt it," Edward said casually. "From what Charlotte said, it just sounds like her normal character. But I'll check it out anyway."

The beaded curtain rattled and Lena arrived with notepad and pen.

"Are we ready to order?" She smiled at us both, then spoke conspiratorially to me. "You know, he eats half the menu whenever he's here."

"I'm not surprised," I stage-whispered. "I've seen what he can do."

Edward muttered something beneath his breath before suggesting the banquet for two. Lena declared it an excellent choice, and with our order set, I asked where the bathrooms were and stood up to follow Lena out of the courtyard.

"Don't start without me," I teased as I left.

I was only gone for a moment, and as I made my way back to the courtyard, the door of the restaurant opened and I heard a familiar laugh, like a donkey braying.

"Oh, shit."

Amongst a small group of new arrivals was a guy I'd dated twice, three months before. A guy whose name was Karl, though I preferred to think of him as Mr Octopus.

I put my head down and hoped he didn't notice me as I hurried back to the courtyard and took my seat.

"We've got bread for starters, and I ordered wine." Edward indicated the plate and bottle and glasses. "Would you like…is something wrong?"

"No, all good. I'd love a wine, though."

He reached for the bottle and poured us each a glass, then looked beyond me to the main dining area.

"You seem on edge."

"It's nothing."

And it really was nothing, but I obviously wasn't good at hiding my distaste for the guy with the donkey laugh and wandering hands. I sighed and lifted my glass to my lips.

"Like I said, it's nothing, there's just a guy in the restaurant, we went out a couple of times, it didn't go well."

Edward looked beyond me to the main part of the restaurant. "Did he upset you?" he asked, voice low.

"No, no, he didn't even see me."

"And you don't want him to."

"Not really. Wasn't my type. I declined his offer for a third date." I gave a rough sort of laugh. "It's funny, I thought it would be _your_ exes we'd run into somewhere along the line. Not mine. Not that he's an ex," I amended quickly, shuddering at the thought. "Just a bad date."

Edward nodded, frowning slightly as he turned his glass round and round slowly. He seemed deep in thought, and Karl was forgotten as I began to wonder.

" _Are_ we likely to run into you one of your exes?" I asked.

"Not around here, it's unlikely," he said.

"They didn't live nearby?"  
"No."

While he lifted his glass and sipped, my mind followed that thought. He'd told me in the vineyard that he wouldn't give away anyone's privacy, and I respected that. I respected _him_ for it. I wouldn't want Alex or Sam discussing details or how soon in the relationship I'd shared their beds and I couldn't believe I'd basically asked Edward that very question. But I was pretty sure he wouldn't mind answering other questions. If I could bring myself to ask. It seemed, though, that Edward had read my mind, because a moment later he put down his glass and smiled shyly.

"I'm not sure what you want to know, or how much," he said. "But if you have questions…"

"I think I do."  
He nodded, his frown returning, creasing his brow softly as he leant forward. He folded his arms on the table, just like that night in Port Angeles when we'd sat across from each other and he'd revealed his secrets in answer to my questions.

"Ask me," he said softly.

And now I wasn't sure where to start. How much _did_ I want to know? The mood had suddenly become awkward, a little tense, even. Then for some reason, I started to giggle. Edward's eyebrows shot up, but he smiled, too.

"This is weird," I mumbled. "Awkward."

"I know."

"Is there anything you want to ask _me_?" I said, going for diversion. "About exes?"

I thought I already knew the answer to that. In my experience, men didn't seem to want to know much about their partner's romantic past. A second later, Edward proved me right when he shook his head.

"I don't think so. But it's not because I don't care." He traced circles on the tablecloth with a long finger. "If that's even the right word. It's more that, I don't _need_ to know. But I understand that you might." He looked back at me, still frowning, puzzling something out, it seemed.

"But that doesn't mean…I don't want you to think…" he paused, and took a slow breath. "It doesn't mean I don't want you to talk about them, I don't mean that at all. They were part of your life, an important part, and I'm not going to pretend they don't exist. I don't want you to feel you can't talk about places you've been or things you've done, because it was with someone else."

His declaration surprised me. I whispered a hesitant "okay", and wasn't sure if I could be as generous.

Edward took another deep breath, and a swig from his wine glass. "Go ahead," he said. His jaw was set, his face determined, and for some reason it made me giggle again.

"I know, it's not funny," I said. "But you look like you're preparing for battle."

He blinked at me, then his face relaxed a little. "Maybe I am."

"Oh? It's not that bad, is it?"  
"I don't think so," he sighed. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious about this conversation."

I exhaled, and took a drink of water. "Um, so I'll just ask you something?"

He nodded. "Or I could just tell you things, but I don't know what you want to know specifically."

"No, I think it's better if I ask questions and you answer." I pushed my glass back and forth. "That seems a bit clinical though, doesn't it? Like an interview."

"Maybe clinical is a good thing."

He had a point there, I thought. Maybe it was a good thing for this conversation. So I took a breath and began.

"Okay, um, so how long were your relationships?"

"A year, then three months, and then six months. In that order." He answered immediately, without hesitation, clearly willing to tell me whatever I needed to know.

I turned his response over in my mind. Six months wasn't that long, I thought. And three months was pretty short; I wondered what went wrong there.

"When did you arrive in Australia?"  
"January, 2009."

I quickly did the maths. He'd been here five years and ten months.

"How soon was your first relationship after you got here?"  
"A little over a year." He reached for a piece of bread. "I started dating Fiona in February 2010."

Fiona. She had a name and I had a knot in my stomach.

"And she was your…first?"

Edward nodded slowly, his eyes wary. "Yes."

I reached for my wineglass and nearly knocked it over.

"Bella…"  
"It's okay," I said, and took a gulp. "I'm a big girl. Um, so what about the others?"

"You'd like a timeline?"

"Er, yeah, I think so. If you don't mind?"

"I don't mind," he said, but he was still eyeing me cautiously. "Fiona and I broke up in March 2011. I started seeing Jenn later that year, in October, but it didn't last very long. We ended it just before New Year's. Then I dated Elise from November 2012 to May 2013."

And now it was October 2014.

Fiona, Jenn, and Elise.

"Bella?"

"Huh?"

I'd been staring into my glass, and now I looked up into Edward's vivid, green, eyes. Eyes full of concern, but deep with sincerity and love.

"Is there anything else…" he trailed off, voice soft.

"No," I said. "Not right now, anyway."

Maybe he'd been right with the whole _not needing to know_ , thing. I sighed and took a sip of my wine. Did the knowing make a difference to anything? Not really.

"Actually, one more," I said as I set down my glass. "Did you live with any of them?"

"No," Edward answered. "Did… _you_?"

Oh! So he did want to know something.

"Yes," I said. "Sam and I had a flat in London, we lived together about a year. We were together for nearly two. He was English."

Edward took another piece of bread, nodding as he did so. He smiled softly as he chewed.

"London," he said. "Did you like it?"

"Er, yeah. I did. A lot." I took some bread, too. "We had a flat in Hammersmith. Tiny place, above an Indian restaurant."

"Sounds fun."

"Yeah, you'd have loved it, living over a restaurant."

Edward chuckled. "Go on," he said. "Tell me more."

So for the next little while I talked about London, and wandering through its amazing markets and galleries, and weekends spent in historic pubs in the countryside. Edward joined in, recalling a business trip two years before when he'd spent an evening by the fire in a 900 year old pub, listening to live music and trying Guinness for the first time, instead of attending a boring conference dinner like he was supposed to. I teased him about 'skipping school', and he laughed and told me the fireside experience was worth the disapproval from his two Sydney colleagues the next day.

"They were just annoyed that they hadn't thought of doing it," he said, chuckling. "The next night all three of us skipped the dinner and went to the pub together. But I interrupted you, sorry, go on. You were headed to the Salisbury Plain."

I realised, halfway through a tale of Stonehenge and a dodgy hire car, how easy this felt. Even more relaxed than lunch in the vineyard when we'd sat on the rug and talked about scuba diving.

Edward cocked his head. "Were you working as a marine biologist in London?"

I nodded, and told him about the fantastic job I'd landed with the marine conservation organisation.

"I would've stayed longer if I could have but the contract, and my visa, expired. Actually, I think those two years have been the best of my career. So far, anyway. Although I'm loving my work here in Sydney." I smiled wryly. "Let's just hope I haven't peaked too soon."

"Let's hope." Edward smiled.

Conversation stopped, London faded from my thoughts, as Lena and the young waitress came in with our food. Rather than fill the small table with food, leaving us little room to move, they'd brought a trolley laden with bowls and plates.

"We'll leave this here for you," Lena said, then lowered her voice in Edward's direction. "This way you can still hold hands across the table. If that's something you might want to do." Then she stood back and smiled. "Eat up and enjoy," she said before disappearing back through the curtain.

The food looked amazing and smelt even better and I didn't know where to start.

"Here, try the kofta." Edward skewered a meatball with his fork and held it out to me. It was barely a stretch for me to lean across the table and take food he offered between my lips. There was a flash of something in Edward's eyes.

"Good?" he asked.

"Mm…" I nodded emphatically, and Edward smiled before taking a meatball for himself.

For the next few minutes we were lost in a smorgasbord of tastes and aromas. There were flavours I'd never experienced, and others that were familiar but so much better than I'd had before, and our conversation became a string of satisfied moans, broken only by the occasional "try this" or "that's incredible".

"You know what's nice?" I said, sitting back.

"What?"

"Having dinner together. Sharing a meal with you. I mean, properly sharing a meal. I like it."

"Me too." He smiled, then sat back, too. His expression changed. "Bella?"

"Yes, Edward? You're looking very serious now."

He smiled again and shook his head. "I don't mean to."

"Good. What's up?"

"Well, I know you have a list of questions for me."

I tried not to remember the embarrassing spreadsheet that had tumbled from my bag at the vineyard. "Mm…?"

"I have a list of my own. For you." Edward smiled shyly and tapped his temple. "It's all in here. We've talked about London, but there's so much more I want to know. Would you mind if I asked…"

"Of course not!"

I put down my glass, only realising now that, since we'd met, most of our conversations had been me quizzing him while he'd patiently answered. He'd obviously kept his own questions on hold while I'd been satisfying my need to know all about him.

"You could have asked before."

Edward shrugged a shoulder. "I didn't feel I had the right to ask anything of you. Not when I was the one who walked away."

I narrowed my eyes, not wanting to go down that path anymore.

"Just ask me, Edward. What do you want to know?"

"Everything." He grinned, a cheeky, crooked, grin. "I want to know, how was high school graduation? Do you still have your red truck? What did you do between graduation and starting college? Where _was_ college? What music…"

"Hang on, hang on," I said, laughing and holding up my hand to stop him. "Slow down, give me a chance?"

"Sorry." That grin, combined with his eagerness, made my heart flutter a little before I launched into a brief history of Bella Swan.

Graduation, the sad demise of my truck, Mexico, Florida State. Edward kept his eyes on me, interrupting to ask questions here and there. His list was long. Our conversation reminded me of those early days in Forks when he'd practically interrogated me about everything from books to music to my favourite colour. I shared that thought, and he nodded, flashing me a sheepish smile.

"I know what you mean," he said. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay. But it feels different this time. Gentler. Even if you are firing questions at me," I added with a smile.

"It feels less intense," he said. "No, not less, different. A different intensity. Back in Forks I was trying to puzzle you out, find a way inside your mind and discover why I felt about you the way I did. But now, I understand my feelings, I'm not afraid." His smile was slow and sweet. "Forks was like going through an encyclopaedia, trying to find answers to things I didn't understand. This, now, is like slowly unwrapping a gift."

"I'm a gift?"

"Bella, you have no idea."

His words were beautiful, but his eyes told the full story and at that moment I felt myself getting lost in his gaze, swept away by the love I saw there.

He rose, and held out his hand. "Dance with me?"

I realised then that the music had changed. The guitars had given way to an instrumental version of a classic song. I took Edward's hand and stood, smiling at the surprise in his face.

"No arguments?" he said.

"None at all. But I am curious as to _why_ we're dancing?"

He pulled me into his arms, into _him_ , and whispered in my ear.

"Because you were too far away on the other side of the table."

I rested my head against his chest. I closed my eyes and breathed him in, feeling warm and safe and happy. We weren't really dancing, more like swaying where we stood.

"Bella?"  
"Mm?"

"Next weekend, I'm going to Queensland for Hannah's birthday, and I was wondering, would you like to come with me? See Rosalie and Emmett and meet the kids?"

I lifted my head. "Meet your family?"

His lips twitched with a smirk. "You've already met most of them, but you can put it that way if you like."

I grinned up at him, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves at seeing Rosalie and Emmett again. "I'd like that," I said. "I'd love to come."

Edward's answering grin lit us his whole face. "We'll go up Friday night, come back Sunday afternoon. Does that work for you?"  
I did a quick mental check of my diary. I did have a couple of vague plans for next weekend, but nothing that couldn't wait.

"Yep, that works."

Edward's smile became impossibly brighter, and he lowered his face, his lips grazing mine, brushing slowly back and forth, making my skin tingle with pleasure and sweet anticipation.

"Dessert!"

Lena came bustling through the curtain with a trolley.

"I hope you've left plenty of room…oh…"

She stopped suddenly as we stepped apart, still holding hands.

"I'll just leave the trolley for you," she said as she turned to leave.

"Actually, I think we might skip dessert." Edward turned to look at me. "If that's alright with you, Bella?"

I nodded agreement, feeling my cheeks heat.

There was surprise in Lena's eyes, followed by a knowing smile. "Why don't I pack some up for you to take home?" She took the trolley and went back out through the curtain. Edward stepped close again, pressing his forehead to mine.

"I think I'd like to be alone with you," he said. "Properly alone."

"Me too."

He pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "I'll go and settle the bill." He kissed me again and then disappeared into the main restaurant.

I walked over to the fountain, still feeling his touch on my skin, smiling as my body hummed. I reached out, letting the water trickle and splash over my fingers. As I watched the lantern light catch in the water drops, I heard the curtain rattle.

"That was quick," I said.

"Bella? It is you."

I spun around and saw Karl.

"I thought I saw you earlier," he said, smiling. "But I wasn't sure." He stopped right in front of me. Right in my space. "So, how have you been?"

I really didn't want to make polite conversation, but I fixed a vague sort of smile on my face, and answered.

"I'm fine. And you?"

"Yeah, good."

I nodded. "Well, it's nice to see you, but I'm actually on my way home." I stepped around him and headed back to the table to get my bag and jacket. His voice followed me.

"Do you want to catch up again some time?"

"No, I don't think so, Karl." I shrugged into my jacket.

"You didn't return my calls after we went to dinner."

"I told you I didn't want to see you again. I don't know why you thought I'd return your calls."

I reached for my bag. He put his hand on my arm and I jerked out of his grasp, quickly.

"Hey, no need to…oh, shit…"

Karl was staring beyond me towards the doorway. I turned and saw Edward standing there, glaring.

"Bella?" He came to stand beside me and somehow he seemed even taller than his six feet four. He slipped his arm around my waist as he stared Karl down. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine. It's all good. Karl wanted to say hello and now he's leaving."

Karl puffed out his chest, clearly not happy with being put in his place, or Edward's sudden appearance.

"You're wasting your time with this one, mate," he said. "As cold as they come."

I wasn't even going to dignify that with a response. I squeezed Edward's hand and turned to go, leaving Karl behind us, alone and ignored. But he didn't like being ignored.

"Frigid bitch," he muttered. "Maybe I'll catch you alone again sometime."

I knew it was just words, and I was planning to just keep going, but Edward had different ideas.

He stopped and turned back.

His human face was smooth, unreadable, but his past was suddenly there, in his eyes. The vampire, the violence committed, the lives taken, it was all there beyond the green. The air of menace that surrounded him now was palpable, and an icy chill ran through me.

Karl's face paled and I could see how he shivered.

"I'm sorry," he said, taking a quick step back and holding up his hands. "I didn't mean that. I really didn't, I'm sorry."

Edward took a slow step towards him, and though it was a simple move, there was nothing human about the way he tilted his head. The threat in his voice was real.

"Never talk to her again. Never contact her. Don't even think about her. If you see her in the street you turn and walk the other way. Do you understand?"

Karl was nodding desperately, stumbling and falling over his own feet as he backed away.

"I understand. Yes. Yes." Then he was out the door and gone.

I looked at Edward. Perhaps the vampire wasn't gone, after all.

"Edward?" He opened his arms to me and I stepped into him. "You okay?"

"I was about to ask you that," he said. "He had his hand on you."

"For barely a second. I'm fine. He's all talk." I stroked my hand over the back of his neck. "You seemed pretty intense for a moment there."

"I'm sorry," he murmured, nuzzling his head against my shoulder. "Did I scare you?"

"No. But you scared _him_. I _don't_ think he _will_ even think about me again."

"That was the plan."

"Thank you."

He lifted his head. "Would it be strange to say it was my pleasure?"

I chuckled softly. "Nah. Not strange. The guy's just a jerk with a nasty mouth, but he deserved a good scare." I touched Edward's cheek. He seemed just like his normal, human, self again. But he'd lived a certain way for nearly a hundred years – it was bound to leave its mark. "You, um, you kind of went vamp on him."

He shrugged. "Did I? When I saw him there, with you…his hand on you…"

"I don't want him to spoil our evening."

Edward blinked, considering my words it seemed. Then the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. "He won't," he said. "I promise."

"Doggy bags!" Lena was back, holding high a couple of plastic carriers. "I've got a bit of everything for you," she said.

There was something so real and warm about Lena, and her beaming smile brought some new perspective, and a new mood. Edward and I both relaxed as she talked brightly about the dessert treats that lay in store for us. Edward teased her about trying to get him fat and she smacked him in the stomach and told him he could do with a few more pounds on him. Then she hugged us both, told us to come back again soon, and ushered us out the door of the, now, nearly empty restaurant.

The rain had stopped. The moon was making a faint appearance through the clouds. Edward sighed, a happy sounding sigh, and kissed me as we stood on the footpath that glistened in the streetlights.

"Ah, Bella," he said. "I am so ready to get you home."

-ooo0ooo-

 **A/N: I can't say enough Thank You's for all the wonderful reviews! xx I'm trying to respond to everyone but if I haven't replied to you yet, please know that I read them all and appreciate them so much : ) I'm glad so many of you are enjoying the story, and thank you also for your patience when the time between chapters is sometimes long. I try to get them out as quickly as I can.**

 **There will be more mention of Edward's girlfriends in the next chapter, just letting you know.**

 **This chapter is unbeta'd, and it's late on a Friday night, so any mistakes are mine, mine, mine! I've gone through several times, but if I've missed something and you notice, please feel free to let me know so I can fix it : )**

 **If you want to ask me questions about the story, I'm happy to answer, but I can't reply if you review as Anonymous. So sign in when you leave your review and I'll respond : )**

 **Next chapter is underway : )**

 **Cheers!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Quick recap: Edward and Bella have been to dinner. It's a stormy night. Edward went vamp on a guy harassing Bella. Now they're on their way home.**

 **Chapter 13 – Part I**

-ooo0ooo-

We held hands on the console as we drove back to Edward's place. Music played quietly on the stereo. The dashboard light cast a soft shadow on his features.

He was smiling as he lifted my hand and placed a kiss on my knuckles, then another on the inside of my wrist where he lingered, his lips lightly caressing the pulse point beneath my skin. His lips were warm, like his touch. A shiver of pleasure ran through me and despite my feelings that it was still early days, I wondered what the rest of the evening might hold.

"Cold?" he asked.

"No, not at all."

Studying him in the dashboard glow, I wondered about fate, and coincidence, and second chances. And then my thoughts wandered to the brief appearance by the vampire back in the restaurant. It had been a surprise, seeing his past return in his eyes, in his posture and the set of his jaw.

The other surprise had been my reaction.

For probably the first time since we'd crossed paths in that high school cafeteria eight years before, I'd felt genuinely scared of him. It had been fleeting, barely a second, but the feeling had been there. That bone-deep instinct that I should run. That he was, absolutely, deadly and dangerous.

Looking at Edward now, it was hard to imagine what I'd seen and I wondered if that was why I'd experienced that fear. Because it seemed so out of step with who he was now.

"Edward?"

"Mm?"

He took a corner, steering deftly with one hand, just like he used to.

"The change from vampire to human…was it the same as going from human to vampire?"

There was the faintest twitch in his jaw and I wondered if perhaps it wasn't a topic he wanted to talk about. But I'd barely finished that thought when he answered.

"Completely different," he said, staring out the windscreen. A soft frown creased his brow and he remained silent.

"If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay…"

"No, it's not that," he said. "I'm just thinking how to tell you." He paused, lips pursed as he thought. "And wondering if this is the time." He turned to look at me. "I don't want to spoil the mood."

I lifted his hand, and placed a kiss of my own on his knuckles, his wrist. He smiled.

"Is this your way of telling me the mood won't change?"

"Pretty much," I said. "I just want to know all about you. But if you don't want to talk about it, I understand." I kissed his hand again and he sighed.

"It wasn't easy," he murmured, surprising me. "If anything, it was worse than the time before."

"Worse?"

Immediately thinking back to that ballet studio, and my own, brief, experience of transformation, I couldn't imagine anything worse. My hand tightened instinctively round Edward's, as if to protect him.

"How was it worse?"

"Mm, well it's not the most romantic thing I could tell you."

I stroked my thumb gently over his, thinking. "Romantic is sharing the good _and_ the bad, don't you think?"

The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. "Maybe." He swerved carefully around a fallen tree branch that lay halfway across the road. "Okay, if I said it was like being ripped apart while being crushed from the inside out…" He paused. "Like having every bone in my body broken, over and over, every muscle and tendon stretched to tearing, without respite, for eight days straight, would that give you some idea?"

It sure did.

I'd broken bones and torn muscles over the years, and Edward's description made me feel ill. I wondered for a second if maybe I wasn't as tough as I thought. Then I wondered how he'd managed to survive.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his hand gently squeezing mine.

"I…I don't know what to say. That...it must have hurt." Immediately, I rolled my eyes. It was such a dumb thing to say.

"It did," he said, simply.

"Why was it so different this way? It almost sounds like…" I thought of the marble-hard body from his other life. "Like human you was breaking your way out."

"Maybe," Edward murmured. "I don't know."

"So, um, did this happen soon after you helped the hiker?"

"A couple of hours. We have a house in Canada, in the woods near Yellow Knife, and I was back there when it started." He shot me a glance. "You still want to hear more?"

"I'm pretty tough."

He smiled sweetly. "I know," he whispered.

We stopped at a traffic light and he took a slow breath while I held mine.

"It started with an ache across the back of my shoulders, and moved on from there, spreading through my body, getting worse, getting _deeper_ until, well…"

"You were being torn apart." I screwed my eyes shut. "You weren't alone, were you?"  
"No, my family was there. I was lying on the floor. They were all around me. I was thrashing, screaming, too far gone with pain to read their thoughts, but somehow I could sense their confusion and fear. Or maybe it was just my own." He frowned softly. "Carlisle didn't know what was going on. I do remember begging him to kill me."

I realised I was clutching the edge of my seat, while my grip on Edward's hand tightened and I had to remind myself that he was here, with me, real and alive.

"And this went on for eight days," I murmured.

The light went green. Edward let out the clutch and the car moved forward as he continued. His calm voice was a sharp contrast to my racing heart.

"Yes. Although, I had no sense of time. They told me later how long it had been. But then…" He let out a slow easy breath, and smiled. "After eight days the pain started to ease. At last I could think a little. And around that time, Carlisle realised what was happening to me, and so did I. When the pain finally stopped, it was like being weightless, floating on a cloud. Like my body didn't exist anymore, only my mind, my thoughts. The relief was so great, so pure, I can't even begin to describe it."

"No words?"

"Not in any language. All I wanted was to stay that way forever, just floating on my cloud."

"After everything else it must have felt incredible."  
"It did, for a moment."

"Only a moment?"  
"My heart wasn't beating." We went round a roundabout and Edward hit a puddle. A sheet of water arced into the air and splashed against my window but I barely noticed.

"What do you mean, it wasn't beating?"

"It just didn't start. Carlisle was waiting and waiting, but nothing happened and in the end he had to start CPR while yelling for someone to get a defibrillator. Even then, when the defibrillator arrived, it took nearly fifteen minutes before he got a pulse."

My mouth was hanging open again, my own heart a tight knot in my chest.

"What was that like? When your heart _did_ start?"

He grinned now. "Like being kicked in the chest by a horse. And because Carlisle had to go in hard with the CPR, I was nursing a few broken ribs for a while afterwards." Then his lips twitched with a new smile. "I still have the imprint of his fist over my sternum."

"No! Really?"

"No," Edward chuckled softly. "Well, not the imprint of his fist. It just felt like that. But I did have the fractures. It happens sometimes with CPR, even if it's not a terrified vampire doing it."

A terrified vampire. The image of a desperate Carlisle, trying to bring his first-born son back to life, filled my mind.

"I'd lost consciousness some time before, back on my cloud," Edward went on. "I was completely oblivious to what was going on, but then there was this, this… _brutal punch,_ from inside my chest and I started gasping, sucking in air, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Carlisle, sprawled on the floor, staring at me, paddles in his hand." He paused, frowning, lost in the memory, it seemed. When he did speak again, it was almost as if to himself.

"He was breathing hard, like when a human's out of breath, and his eyes were panicked, hair all over the place. I'd never seen him so un-together, and for a fleeting moment, I wondered what had happened. And then I saw it in his mind."

"You had no idea?" I whispered. Edward shook his head.

"Not about the resuscitation, no." He changed gears, moving my hand with his as we rounded another bend. "It was exactly the same with Rose and Emmett, when they changed, though Carlisle was prepared for them. He had the equipment on hand. Defibrillator. Adrenalin."

"Where did the defibrillator come from?" The thought suddenly presented itself. "For _your_ change, I mean."

A smirk hinted at Edward's lips. "You know how shopping malls often have one in a glass case on a wall near the centre management office?"

"You're kidding?" Straight away, I could see where this was going.

"There was a good-sized town about seventy miles away. They had a mall."

"You _stole_ one? Not that I care." I would have stolen anything I had to if it meant keeping Edward alive.

"Jasper stole it. It was night, the mall was closed. And it was returned by morning, before they opened."

"But what if they didn't have one there?"

"Carlisle would have kept pumping my chest, hoping there was oxygen in my blood, and that he was keeping that blood flowing, until a defibrillator was found." Edward bit hard into his lip. "He didn't give up," he whispered. "He kept going for almost two hours, not knowing if it was working. He saved my life. For the second time. It's a good thing vampires don't get tired arms." His last words might have been flippant, but there was deep emotion in the undertone. "And, that's about it," he said.

His story had left me feeling shaky. I slumped back in my seat. Edward flexed his fingers and I realised I'd been clutching his hand too hard.

"You're cutting off the circulation." He smiled, winking.

"Oh, sorry." I gave a rough laugh and loosened my grip. "And it sounds like you went through a lot to get that blood circulating."

He smiled, and kissed my hand again.

"For all of us, our hearts were weakened by the experience and in the early months it took a lot of careful treatment and exercise to be strong again. Oh, I'm good now," he added quickly, obviously reading the worry on my face. "Healthy as a horse, all of us are. But that's how we know it won't work a second time. A human heart can only take so much, it would never survive another transition like that."

I slipped my hand from his and fan my fingers along his forearm, feeling the hard muscle beneath, then searched for his pulse.

Of course I knew it would be fine. I knew _he_ was fine. More than once I'd listened to the steady rhythm of his heart and you just had to look at him, the size and strength of him, to know there was nothing wrong _anywhere_ , but still, after what I'd heard I needed a little reassurance.

Surreptitiously, or so I thought, my fingers glided along the underside of his wrist and pressed gently to where his lifeblood thumped steadily beneath his skin. As I smiled, he looked down at me, a smirk on his lips.

"All good?" he asked.

"What?"

"Healthy beat?"

Embarrassed, I removed my hand and laced my fingers with his again. "Was I that obvious?"

"Yes."

I cleared my throat. "Very healthy," I murmured.

He chuckled. "Told you."

He gave my hand a squeeze, and leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Has my story spoiled the mood?"

"Mm…I'm sure we can get it back."  
"Good."

"But can I ask, what was it like afterwards?" Despite learning so much already, I _was_ curious for more, if he'd tell me. "I remember you saying, when we were at the vineyard, that you were like a young colt, all clumsy and uncoordinated, but what else was it like, becoming human again?" I was thinking of his vision, his hearing, his appetite.

For just a second, I thought there was the flash of something dark in his eyes, a subtle tightening of his expression, but it was gone quickly, before I could even be sure I'd seen it. And in the dim light of the car, perhaps I hadn't. He rolled his shoulders and a second later a deep chuckle rumbled from his lips.

Confusing," he said. "Awkward. Embarrassing."

"Embarrassing?"

"Body functions." He cocked an eyebrow, and my hand flew to my mouth.

"Oh! I hadn't thought of that!"

"Neither had I." He gave me an amused look, and then his eyes widened and his mouth popped open in theatrical shock.

I laughed. "Oh my God, I can imagine…no I can't…that must have been…"

"An adjustment. And now I really have spoiled the mood."

"Nah." I grinned and squeezed his hand. "Although, I _was_ thinking more about the change in your senses. Maybe the speed and strength. Your eyesight and hearing."

He sighed softly. "I did miss those things. Still do, sometimes. They were pretty amazing."

The wet road glistened in the headlights as he smoothly negotiated another bend. We were almost home now.

"Is that why you wanted to climb Mount Everest? To prove you could still do amazing things?"

He turned to me, grinning. "You've been looking in the photo albums."

"I didn't think you'd mind."

"Not at all. Which ones did you look in?"

"Just the one with you on Everest, and all those nature photos. They're fantastic, by the way."

"Thank you."

I waited for him to say more, and prompted him when he didn't.

"So? Tell me about it. Why haven't you mentioned Mt Everest before?"

"Because once I start talking about it I can't stop, and I didn't want to bore you too much, too soon."

That comment was worthy of a significant eye roll. "You could never be boring, Edward, trust me. So…" I gave an encouraging nod and then sat back, smiling, as he began.

He talked about the months of training, and the excitement and anticipation of arriving in Kathmandu. He smiled as he relived the trek to base camp, and the ups and downs of several weeks spent acclimatising to the thinner air before the climb could even begin.

"The headaches were pretty bad," he said. "But they stopped after a couple of days. Thankfully, I never got altitude sickness like some did."

He told me about the Sherpas, and the incredible views, and a sky that seemed wider and bigger than any he'd ever seen, and the silver-grey clouds that would appear, seemingly from nowhere, and roll dramatically through the blue.

"The weather would shift so quickly, I've never seen anything like it." He smiled as he remembered. "Often, at base camp, there was full sun, and it would be almost hot, and then the wind would come up and the clouds would come in so fast and the temperature would drop and you'd dive for your tent and your sleeping bag." He laughed. "There's a photo of me bundled up, with just my eyes showing. I look like I'm in a cocoon."

He'd made friends with those in his climbing group and he laughed as he remembered nights around campfires and shared stories of past adventures.

"I had to carefully edit some of mine," he said with a wink. "Like coming across a mountain lion in Oregon."

He spoke about the excitement as the climb started. And the fear. Of intense cold and burning muscles. Of ice forming in his beard and his eyebrows. The tension of navigating the Hillary Step, and knowing each footfall could be his last, all the while desperately hoping the weather, and his lungs, would hold.

"We had oxygen cannisters," he said. "But even with them it was an effort at times."

And then, there was wonder in his voice as he spoke about standing on the top of the world.

"That then, without doubt, was the _most amazing, incredible,_ moment of my human life," he said. "Either of them."

I realised I was smiling so widely, my mouth hurt.

"It sounds amazing."

Edward nodded. "And you were right. I did do it to prove to myself that I was still capable of doing something incredible. I wanted to prove that I was still…" He trailed off, voice fading as he frowned.

"Still what?"

He shook his head, and the frown disappeared and he was smiling again, but that little pause had left me curious.

"That's a story for another day," he said quietly. "On a not-so-stormy night." There was the trace of something different in his voice, something I couldn't fathom. My curiosity was raging but I kept my questions quiet.

"You'll tell me when you're ready? Whatever it is?"

He nodded. "I will. I promise." He changed gears. "But, back to Mt Everest…" He flashed me a cheeky grin and I laughed. "I have a goal now. I want to climb all of the Seven Summits. Everest was the first. I did Kosciuszko last year, I still have five to go."

Oh! So that's what it meant, that note in the photo album about one down, six to go.  
"So you started with the hardest one."

"Of course!"

"And then Kosciuszko? That's here in the Snowy Mountains, right?"

"Right. And it's the easiest one, only takes a day."

I laughed. "So, what's next?"

"I'm thinking of Kilimanjaro. Next year. Maybe. We'll see what happens." He squeezed my hand. "But it's not about proving myself anymore. Now it's purely about the enjoyment of it." He shrugged, smiling hugely. "I've discovered I love climbing mountains, I love the challenge and the _achievement_ , and I want to keep doing it. There's nothing like it."

His face was alive, happy, and I felt again that same joy that I'd experienced when I'd seen the photo of him on top of Mount Everest.

Edward moved our joined hands, bringing them to rest on my thigh. His knuckles gently kneaded my leg and I shifted closer to him.

"But as incredible as climbing mountains may be, there are some things it can't compete with."

"Oh?"

"Mm." He leant in and kissed my cheek. "Are you hungry for dessert?" he asked softly and I wondered what sort of dessert he meant. I glanced at Lena's take-home pack on the back seat and had a cheeky reply all ready for him, but before I had the chance to deliver it, Edward swore beneath his breath.

"Bloody hell… you're kidding me…"

There were flashing lights ahead. At the corner of Edward's street, a massive gum tree had fallen across the road. An SES crew in their orange overalls were crowded round with chain saws, cutting it up and moving it out of the way. As Edward slowed the car to a stop, one of the crew approached.

"Live round here, mate?"

"Round the corner," Edward said and the guy nodded.

"Yeah, well we'll have enough of the road cleared for you to get through in a bit. Bloody gums, always do this. Small root ball, not enough to hold 'em when the soil's soaked. Is there somewhere you can go for half an hour?"

There was a tension in Edward's posture now, a slight tightening of his hand around the gearstick that belied the friendly tone of his voice.

"Yeah, that's no problem."

"Bit of a bugger living somewhere with just the one road in and out, eh?"

"Yeah, it's a bugger," Edward agreed, smiling. "Especially tonight," he added quietly.

Then he put the car into reverse with a little more force than strictly necessary. "We'll be back in a while." He raised a hand in farewell, the crewman did the same, and then with a soft groan, Edward turned the car around.

ooo

He drove us to Whale Beach, not far away, and we sat in the backseat, talking, watching the stormy, turgid waves as we fed each other dessert from Lena's take-home pack.

Edward was refusing to tell me his most embarrassing human moment.

"Oh, come on," I mumbled around a piece of knafeh.

"No," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Not going there."

"Why not?" I raised a brow as he held out another piece of the delicious treat. His eyes flared a little as I took it between my teeth. "That bad, huh?"  
"Yep."

"Were there witnesses?"

"Unfortunately."

"Mm, this is getting interesting. Is there internet footage?" I teased. He smirked, and leant in, running his nose along my jaw.

"No," he whispered. My skin tingled from his touch, and my heart skipped a little faster, as I took a piece of Turkish delight from the box, and held it up. Edward kissed my fingers before he took my offering between his lips. He chewed slowly, keeping his gaze on me.

The conversation slowed. With each piece of dessert we thought less about the sea or the stars or embarrassing moments. We'd started out, side-by-side, hip to hip, legs tangled, but I realised now that I'd somehow made it into his lap.

"Oh my God, this is delicious," I murmured as I licked the sweet icing sugar from Edward's fingers. He lowered his face and in a move that made me tingle all over, he slowly kissed the icing from my lips; each caress lingering a little longer than the last, until his lips were consuming mine, consuming _me._

My fingers wound through his hair, holding him to me. When we needed to breathe he moved to my throat, nipping gently beneath my jaw, making me gasp.

"Mm?" He murmured and I could feel his smile against my skin.

"Mmm…"

From nowhere, three words popped into my head.

Fiona. Jenn. Elise.

I pulled back a little.

Fuck. Why?

Because they had names, now.

"Bella?" Edward raised his head, breathless, eyes bright. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, nothing," I said quickly.

"I wasn't trying to rush you, I'm sorry if it felt that way." He smiled shyly, almost apologetically. "I know it's too soon."

"No, no, it's not that." I smiled as I pushed back his dishevelled hair and realised now how much he'd actually been keeping himself in check. His hands were well and truly in neutral territory around my waist, and I hadn't tasted the touch of his tongue. I pressed my forehead against his. "It's just…is it half an hour yet?"

Edward blinked, then glanced at the clock in the dashboard. "Forty minutes. I guess we're good to go."

Edward drove fast, the needle of the speedometer sitting above the speed limit and dropping down only when the SES crew waved us through a comfortable opening between two halves of a gum tree, and into his street.

Fiona, Jenn, and Elise had been banished from my thoughts as he helped me from the car, and then swung me into his arms.

"Hey! I can walk."

"It's dark," he said. "The paths are wet and for you, unfamiliar. I don't want you going over and breaking a bone. And besides…" He kissed my cheek. "I like having you here like this."

I wasn't going to argue with that. Or with being snuggled against his chest, cradled in his arms. I was almost sad when we got inside and he set me down carefully in the hall.

"Power's still out," he murmured, flicking the light switch.

"See, you should have candles."

I couldn't really tell, but I suspected he was rolling his eyes.

"I have a couple of torches in the garage," he said, leading me carefully into the living room. "I'll be right back, just give me a minute." He kissed me quickly. "Don't go anywhere."

Then he slid open the sliding door and disappeared off the deck. I hadn't actually snooped in his garage and thought about following him. I knew the Kombi and the motorbike were stored in there, which was why he always parked his Audi in the street, but maybe it would be better to look tomorrow, in the daylight.

I was about to take a seat on the sofa, when someone knocked on the front door.

"Edward?" Had he come back round to the front? No, he couldn't have been that fast. Maybe I'd imagined it, but a second later, there it was again.

Three clear taps on the timber.

Stumbling a little, I made way back through the living room, into the hall, and cracked open the door.

It was dark, the man was in shadow, but his silhouette was unmistakable.

"Oh my God. _Emmett_!"

-ooo0ooo-

 **A/N: Thank you for your patience, I know it's been a while. This chapter was actually much longer, but I've cut it in two because I think it flows better that way. The second half will be posted in the next day or two, promise : )**

 **Thank you also for your support and amazing reviews and messages, they make me smile and mean so much xx**

 **This chapter is unbeta'd, so any mistakes that have slipped through are mine.**

 **See you tomorrow!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **This chapter has a lot of information in it, and includes the details of Edward's girlfriends and relationship history.**

-ooo0ooo-

"Bella? Bella Swan, is that you?" Emmett's joyful, booming laugh filled my ears. "Look at you!"

"Oh my gosh, I can't bel…oh!" My feet suddenly left the floor as I was lifted in a hug that stole my breath and almost cracked my ribs.

"Even in the dark you sure are a sight for sore eyes," he said as he set me back down. "Wasn't expecting to see you here. Hey, hope that hug wasn't too forward of me?"

"No, not too forward," I rasped, sucking in air. "And it's so good to see you, I can't believe it." My smile was stretched wide across my face. "Does Edward know you're coming?"

"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "Surprises all round, hey?" He chuckled again. "Can I come in?"

"Oh my God, of course." We were still standing in the doorway and I stepped back quickly, opening the door properly all the way. At that moment the lights flickered, and the power was back.

Still a bear of a man, Emmett didn't look too different at all, even if he'd lost those chiseled vampire features. He was older, of course, maybe thirty-five. His face was subtly weathered and he had a deep tan from the Queensland sun. His eyes were blue, like a clear summer sky, and they twinkled with life and humour.

"Yeah, I know," he said, grinning. "I'm even better looking as a human, right?"

I grinned too. "Didn't mean to stare, sorry. But you do look good. Great. And you're a Dad! Edward showed me photos of Hannah and Max."

"Good old Uncle Nedwood." He chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'm a Dad, can you imagine? Rose says she doesn't know who the bigger kid is. I say, what's wrong with me building a swing set that'll take my weight as well as theirs?"

Actually, I could imagine, and the thought of an Emmett-sized swing, big enough to hold him and his children together, made me smile.

"Sounds like life in the McCarty household is fun."

"Life," he said, "is pretty damn good, Bella. But what about you? You're all grown up! Edward told me he'd run into you again. Are things, you know…okay?" He raised a speculative brow.

"Things are going pretty well, actually. Early days, getting to know each other again, but all good."

His beaming smile was so wide and warm, it could have lit up the night sky.

"I'm glad," he said. "Really glad. But listen, if I'm interrupting something here, you just say so and I'm gone."

"Er, no, not interrupting." I motioned for him to follow me into the living room. "Edward's getting a torch from the garage, he'll be back in a minute."

"I tried to call ahead but he never answered. I thought he might have gone to bed."

I quickly checked my watch.

"But it's only ten o'clock _now_!"

Emmett shook his head, a smirk on his lips. "It really is early days, isn't it? So, tell me what you're up to these days? Do you still have that truck?"

"Er no, truck died. And I'm a marine biologist."

"Whoa!" His eyes widened. "Not what I was expecting. You're always full of surprises, Bella Swan. So tell me…"

"Looks like we don't need a torch after…what the hell…" Edward's voice interrupted and we both turned.

"Hey, there he is!" Emmett moved past me towards the sliding door where Edward had just come in, a surprise all over his face.

"What are you doing here?" He greeted his brother with a one-armed hug then stepped back, coming to stand by me, his hand resting lightly on my waist.

"I'm getting re-acquainted with Bella," Emmett answered. "So, you two are back together again, that's great. Can we send out a save-the-date?"

"Emmett…" There was warning in Edward's voice, a grin on Emmett's face, and I found myself hiding a smile.

Eight years had passed, Emmett had gone from vampire to human, but his open, friendly, no-filter personality was exactly as I remembered. And the teasing between brothers obviously hadn't changed. There was something comforting in that, I decided.

"Sorry," Emmett chuckled. "But Edward sometimes you just make it too easy, bro. So, can I tell Rose?"

"Sure," Edward answered. "And, I didn't think you'd mind, but I've invited Bella to come with me when I come up for Hannah's birthday. I was going to call tomorrow to let you know."

Emmett's face lit up. "That's great. Rosie's gonna be so happy."

The doubt in my thoughts must have shown on my face. Emmett gave my arm a friendly rub.

"She will," he said. "I guarantee it. If he's happy, she's happy. We're _all_ happy!" Then he turned to Edward. "Hey, should we make up separate guest rooms, or…"

"We can discuss sleeping arrangements later." Edward cut him off quickly and motioned for us all to take a seat. "Want to tell me why you're here?"

"Emergency birthday mission," Emmett said, stretching out in the arm chair while I sat on one of the island stools. "Long story." He yawned, something I'd never seen him do before, and which shouldn't surprise me now, but still did. "You'd know if you ever answered your phone or read your texts."

Edward's hand went to his pocket. "I turned it off while I was at dinner," he said, taking the phone out and tossing it on the kitchen counter. "Coffee? Beer?"

"Coffee," Emmett answered. "And then I'll get out of your way."

"You don't have to go," I said.

"Yes he does."

"Yes I do."

The brothers answered as one and then Edward turned to the coffee machine, a smirk on his lips, and Emmett chuckled as he scanned his phone.

"Do you want coffee?" Edward asked me.

"Tea, thanks."  
He nodded, grabbed a cup and the teabags, and then hesitated, confusion clear on his face. "Um…"

"Milk. No sugar."

"Should I know that? From before?"  
"No." His hand was resting on the counter and I covered it with mine. "Tea is a new thing for me."

His expression relaxed. "Milk, no sugar. I'll remember for next time," he said quietly, and then louder, "So, what's the story, Emmett?"

"I'm averting a gift disaster."

Turned out, Rosalie had ordered a custom doll-house, online, from a company in Sydney. Problem was, it was well-past delivery date and the doll-house still hadn't arrived.

"Some issue with their couriers," Emmett explained as Edward brought him his coffee, and handed me my tea. Then he sat next to me, draping his arm casually round my shoulder.

"They lost your order?"

"A whole palate went missing and our order was on it. They offered to refund the money, but Rose really wants the doll house for Hannah. So I said if they gave us another one, I'd come and pick it up."

"Why didn't you ask me to get it?" Edward frowned at his brother. "I could have sent it with the company courier we use at work."

"Only thought of it on Wednesday and I knew you were in Melbourne until this afternoon." Emmett shrugged. "It's okay. I flew down this morning. Was supposed to fly back tonight, but the airport's cancelled flights going north because of the storm. The airline's booked me a hotel room in the city but I still have the hire car and I was bored, so when the rain stopped I thought I'd come and see if you were home yet. And to tell you that I checked out your museum roof this afternoon. That's some bloody good work there, Edward. Seriously good stuff."

"Everyone's seen it in action except me," Edward chuckled. "I'll have to go some time."

"You should," Emmett said. "But can you ask them to take down that sign with the photo on it near the entrance?"

"What sign?"

"The one about the new wing and the project team."

"Is that still up?" Edward seemed surprised.

"Yep." Then Emmett shuddered in mock horror. "Your team looks fine, but _you?"_

"They told us to look serious." There was a twinge of indignation in Edward's tone.

"Serious? You look like the guy who answers the door in vampire movies. Someone should put a speech bubble above your head… _Abandon all hope ye who enter here_."

Edward made a rude gesture. Emmett laughed. And I felt like I was back in the Cullen's living room in Forks. Except that Emmett was drinking coffee and yawning. And Edward's arm around me was warm.

The conversation shifted to Emmett's building business, and the new building estate where he'd won a contract, and then to his plan to construct a new, improved, tree house for Hannah and Max.

"Will you design it?" he asked Edward.

"Sure. Are you thinking platforms? Walls? It'll depend which tree you're thinking of. Is it the Moreton Bay Fig?"

It was indeed, the Moreton Bay Fig. Things got technical then and the brothers became serious with talk of stresses and strain and weight bearing beams. Edward grabbed a scrap of paper from the kitchen drawer and sketched something out. Emmett made suggestions and alterations. And then, when some sort of plan had been reached, with measurements to be taken next weekend, Emmett stretched and yawned again.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go, leave you two lovebirds alone."

With a wiggle of his eyebrows he leant forward and set his empty cup on the coffee table.

"Before you go…" Edward stood too, "I wanted to show you what I got Hannah. I bought it in Melbourne, but I can send it back if you don't think she'll like it."

He headed towards his room, no doubt to rummage through his suitcase.

"It's probably a dragon." Emmett smiled as he stood. "It's kind of their thing."

"Like the picture on the fridge?" I pointed towards the kitchen and Emmett nodded.

"Yeah. He made up a story for her once, about a dragon who liked to eat cake. She's been fascinated with them ever since."

"He sounds like a good uncle."

"He's a great uncle." There was real warmth in Emmett's voice. "He's come a long way since he became human again."

"He was telling me about that earlier. The eight days…"

Emmett shuddered. "Yeah, it was pretty bad," he said. "It was worse for Edward though."

"It was easier for you and Rose?"

"Not the change itself. Afterwards."

"You mean the clumsiness and being uncoordinated?"

"That's the least of it," he said, his voice deep with a seriousness I'd not heard before. "The change back, it's a hell of a mind trip, I can tell you that, and Edward, being Edward, thought he was nothing and no-one would want him without his pretty boy vampire face. Took him a long while to sort himself out, but he did in the end."

It took a moment for Emmett's words to sink in and even when they did, I still couldn't believe them.

"He thought…you can't be serious." But an awful realisation began to dawn, and it felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "When you say no-one would want him, you mean me? Oh my God, is that why he didn't contact me? He thought I wouldn't want him?"

"You know what he's like." Emmett cocked an eyebrow. "Are you really so surprised?" There was a flicker of confusion in his eyes. "He hasn't talked to you about that?"

I thought suddenly of our trip home, and the conversation Edward was saving for a not-so-stormy night.

"I think he's planning to."

Emmett picked up his cup, and mine, and carried them to the kitchen.

"He will tell you," he said. "You can be sure of that but it might take time for him to work up to it. I know I would, if it was me. It's not a time I'd want to revisit." He frowned as he set the cups in the sink. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Rose always says I only open my mouth to change feet."

Then he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it as Edward came back in the room, a large, thick, book in his hand. Its cover was beautiful in shades of green and turquoise, centred with the elaborate, detailed image of a fire breathing dragon. The title read _A Guide to Dragons._

Edward was smiling, talking, looking through the book with Emmett, pointing things out, but I wasn't really listening. I was still trying to get my head around what I'd just heard, and inside me was brewing a crazy mix of confusion, anger, hurt, and compassion.

"Bella?"

"Huh?"

Emmett was coming towards me, arms outstretched. "Can I say goodbye? Just until next week, anyway."

"Oh yeah, sure, of course." I hugged him back, said goodbye, and then watched as Edward walked him out to his hire car.

While he was gone, I tried to put a lid on my feelings. He'd tell me everything in his own time. When he was ready. When the moment was right. But when he returned a moment later, that lid blew right off and as the words came tumbling I wasn't sure if it was the anger or compassion or hurt that came with them.

"Did you think I wouldn't love you if you were human?"

He took a startled step back, eyes wide in shock.

" _What?"_

"Did you think I was like all the other girls? Like Jessica Stanley? That I only wanted you for your pretty face?"

His eyes narrowed and he shot a glance beyond me, to the street outside. Then he laid the dragon book on the island and inhaled slowly. "What did Emmett say to you?"

"Just that you thought no-one would want you unless you were a vampire. And I guess that included _me._ Am I right?"

"No, of course not." But he'd hesitated before he spoke. It was just a split second, but it was enough. The old fault line in my heart rippled.

"So it's true," I whispered. "This is the conversation not for stormy nights, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes it is, but…"

"Oh my God, _Edward,_ how could you think that?" I decided at that moment that sheer disbelief had come in and eclipsed everything else. "Did you really believe I was a shallow, fickle, human after all. Is that the real reason you stayed away and didn't contact me, isn't it?"

"Bella, no, it wasn't like that."

His voice was soft, but reflected my own pain. I bit hard into my lip. Anger and hurt were starting to give disbelief a run for its money.

"Like what?" He held out his hand to me, but I didn't take it. "How was it not like that?"

He dropped his hand and instead tugged his fingers through his hair.

"It's complicated," he said. "I'll try to explain…"

"Explain what? That your opinion of me was so low? That I was so…"

"It wasn't about you." Edward growled, his voice suddenly a dangerous rumble from deep in his chest. "It was about me." He thumped his chest with a hard fist. "Me. My problem. Not yours."

That pulled me up short. For a moment we just stood staring at each other in painful, angry silence.

"You're right," I said, suddenly exhausted and wishing desperately I could go back to my flat. "It is your problem. Because I can't see how you'd possibly think I was _only_ interested in your looks, or any of the other vampire stuff." My eyes stung and I blinked hard as I crossed my arms firmly over my chest now, effectively holding myself together. "How could you have thought like that when all I ever did was tell you I loved you? Every single day! My God, Edward, I thought you were my _destiny,_ I would have _died_ for you! I practically begged you, over and over, to change me! To make me like you! How could you possibly think…" I stopped for breath, and to steady myself. I inhaled slowly, trying to ignore the agony in Edward's eyes because my own hurt needed to have its say.

"All I ever did was tell you how much you meant to me. How _perfect_ you were, to me. Perfect, and beautiful and graceful. The way you _dazzled_ me! Just your voice…it _mesmerised_ me, I could have listened to you read the phonebook! And you knew all this! You _heard_ my heart go crazy just from _looking_ at you...just the sight of you…"

My words were ringing in my ears, sounding suddenly hollow, bringing with them a truth I didn't want to hear.

"The sight of you…when I'd see…you…when you…I mean…oh my God…" My stomach sank to my toes. I felt slightly dizzy and I dropped heavily onto the sofa.

Across the room, Edward stood very still, head bowed now, defeat in the slump of his shoulders.

I screwed my eyes shut as a sickening reality washed over me. For a moment I couldn't speak. I could barely breathe. I just sat there as understanding took the place of everything else and the only thought in my head was of the puzzle book I'd had as a child. The one where the image of a candlestick turned out to be two people facing each other, if viewed from a different angle.

And suddenly, I was seeing things from a very different angle.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat.

"Edward, when's your birthday?"

There was silence from the other side of the room. When I looked, Edward was staring at me, puzzled.

"June 20th.

"Is that your real birthday?"

"June 20th, 1901." Head cocked, he took some slow steps towards me. "Bella?"

"There's so much I never asked." My voice broke. "There's even more I never said."

He knelt before me, hands on his thighs. A frown creased his brow.

"What?" he asked softly.

My throat felt tight, my voice was shaky.

"I never told you how…how _kind_ you are." I reached out slowly and pushed back his hair. "Kind. And generous. And so gentle. I remember that day in the meadow, that first day, when I was suddenly afraid and you joked that you weren't thirsty, and then you winked, and I…you made me laugh, and I wasn't afraid anymore." I grazed my thumb across his cheek, and the corner of his mouth quirked in a hesitant smile.

Then he winked, and I smiled, too.

"I always felt safe with you, Edward. Not because you were strong, but because you felt like home."

The surprise that flared in his eyes was quickly eclipsed by a tenderness that was almost heartbreaking.

"You have a really dry, almost wicked, sense of humour, and I like that about you. A lot." I touched the stubble on his chin, feeling it's roughness on my skin, before dropping my hand to take his. His fingers closed gently, but firmly, around mine. "You're caring, and thoughtful. You left that note in my truck telling me to _Be safe._ It was like a little love letter _,_ and I still have it, tucked away in a book on my shelves." I sighed heavily, and leaned in to gently kiss him.

"You were never just a pretty face to me, Edward, but I wish I'd told you these things before."

Edward sighed softly, his eyes melting into mine. "I didn't doubt you,' he said. "I came to realise your feelings ran deep, that you did love me, and that was always the miracle of it." He smiled and sat back on his haunches, his expression intense. "But you weren't supposed to love me. Everything about me was designed to lure you in, but nothing more, and I…I never believed I could…I'd seen human first loves come and go, burn bright and then fade away. And there was nothing about me that I thought would hold your love beyond that."

It took everything I had not tell him what an idiot he was.

"When you said goodbye in the forest…"

"It was all about your safety, absolutely. But yes, I did believe that you would get over me and move on and I'd be just the memory of a rather unusual first love."

Slowly, he pushed off his knees and, still holding my hand, came to sit beside me on the sofa.

"It's complicated," he sighed. "It all goes back to when…"

Then he let go of my hand quickly, the sudden motion surprising me as he stood up and headed for the kitchen.

"If you'd like to hear, I'd like to tell you. But I'm going to need a drink. Would you like one?"

ooo

The night sky had stayed dry since we'd left the restaurant, but the wind came up again and the windows gave an occasional rattle. With the overhead light off now, and the living room bathed in the soft glow of the floor lamp, there was an atmosphere to the room.

"Are you tired?" Edward asked from the kitchen as he poured wine for me and whisky for himself.

"No. Not at all."

Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance. Edward smirked.

"Good night for ghost stories," he murmured.

"Is that what this is?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe. Visiting the ghosts of my past." He looked up at me. "My human past."

He came to settle next to me on the sofa, keeping a small distance between us, but when I moved closer and leant against him, I felt him sigh. He kissed my cheek, sipped from his glass, and quietly began.

"We take some of our human selves with us, when we become vampires," he said. "You can see the different personalities in my family, you can see to some extent, who they would have been before. Carlisle was compassionate, Esme was kind and nurturing, Emmett has always been happy-go-lucky, and I was…"

"A sullen teenager?"

He smirked. "Pretty much." He swirled the amber liquid round the glass before he took a swig.

"When Carlisle changed me, I was in the middle of an awkward adolescence; not a boy anymore, but not quite a man. Girls were a complete mystery to me and they certainly never looked twice in my direction. I was quiet and bookish, gangly and skinny, all arms and legs and big ears, and so self-conscious it was nearly crippling. As a vampire, I brought those insecurities with me, and in my frozen emotional state, they stayed, always part of me."

"So when you became human again…"

"They came back in full force. And got worse."

He stared into his glass, gazing deep into its golden depths.

"I wasn't a vampire anymore, but I didn't feel properly human, either. Everything was confusing, my mind-reading faded away and I felt exposed and vulnerable, having to trust myself to correctly read all the non-verbal cues that people give. It was terrifying, although I'd had some practice with you, of course." He smiled and nudged me gently. "But it wasn't enough to prepare me for humanity en masse.

"Carlisle had guided me when I became a vampire, he knew what I was going through back then, but not this time. He tried, he did his best, but this was beyond even his experience, and there was no-one else I could talk to."

He inhaled slowly, deeply, keeping his eyes on his glass.

"The first time I shaved, was the first time _ever_ , in either human life. I'd been something of a late bloomer first time round, you see. I didn't know what I was doing and I cut myself on the first stroke, right here." He touched a spot beneath his jaw.

"Oh…not good in a house full of vampires, huh?"

"As you would know." He gave me an apologetic smile, then sighed. "There was blood everywhere, all over the sink, all over me, and the rest of my family had to leave while Carlisle helped me clean up and finish the job. I already knew my being in the house was uncomfortable for them, but this…" He stopped and shook his head. "I was human again, but I'd never felt _more_ like an outsider, or alone. I'd lost one family in 1918, and now it felt like I was going to lose another."

My heart ached so much for him now, I couldn't even begin to imagine what that must have been like.

"It wasn't just about being clumsy and bumping into things, was it?"

"No, it wasn't." He took another mouthful of whisky. "I've told you about coming to see you in Forks."

"Yeah." I leant closer, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm so sor…"

"No," he said firmly. "Don't apologise for that. Ever." I glanced up at him, and there was a fierceness in his eyes. "Never apologise for that."

"Okay."

He drained his glass, then stood up and went to get another.

"My first instinct, when I saw you that night, was to get out of the car, stride across the road, punch the werewolf in the face and carry you off with me. But I had promised you, more than once, that if you chose to leave me I would never stand in your way."

"I know. I remember."

He replenished his glass from the whisky bottle, his long fingers screwing the lid back on smoothly, slowly, when he was done.  
"So when I saw you with Jacob I knew I had to honour that promise. It hurt to turn away. It hurt more than the change that had brought me back to your door, but as I drove home I wondered if I'd done the right thing. I got to Port Angeles and I decided I was going back for you, but I hadn't eaten for almost a day and I was starting to feel the effects from it. So I thought I'd grab a bite before I turned back, but then something happened."

There was an edge to his voice now, something dark and dangerous, and a shiver snaked down my spine.

Edward rested his palms on the countertop, leaning into them.

"It was late," he said flatly, his voice devoid of all expression. "But the diner was still open. The parking lot was empty except for two guys standing by an old Mazda. I didn't give them much thought, my mind was elsewhere, but when I came back out they were waiting for me."

My blood chilled and my skin pebbled with goose bumps.

"Vampires?"  
"What?" Surprise crossed his features. "No, not vampires. Why would you think…"

"I don't know, I just did…never mind. Who were they?"

His jaw tightened. "They wanted my car."

My eyes popped open wide. "Oh my God, they mugged you?"

"Yes. Well, almost."

"Were you hurt?"

"No." He frowned. "I couldn't read their minds, but I could guess what they wanted, it was obvious. They came up close, one had a gun. The other demanded my wallet and keys. They began taunting me, and I was _so_ _angry_. Too angry to be scared. Six weeks earlier they would have taken one look at me and run the other way, but now I was just another weak target."

My heart was in overdrive, my hand clutched tight around my glass. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I heard a low growl come from his chest.

"What happened?"

He exhaled sharply and shook his head. "Actually, I'm not sure. I was glaring at the guy with the gun while I reached into my pocket. I held out my wallet and keys _like I was offering them to him._ "

He spoke through clenched teeth now and his hands had clawed into fists. Even from where I sat I could see his knuckles had gone white.

"I was hating them with every fibre of my being, and hating myself even more for being so weak. I wanted to sink my teeth into their necks and rip out their throats, but then they just dropped everything, turned heel and ran. I looked around, wondering if the police had arrived, or someone else, but there was no-one. Just me. So I got in the car and got out of there."

I felt sick at the thought of him being in such danger, that I could have lost him so easily and never known, but my mind went back to the restaurant earlier tonight, and Karl, and the look on Edward's face. I thought I had a pretty good idea why those two guys had run away.

"You were okay?" I asked.

"They didn't hurt me."

"But it made everything worse, didn't it?"  
He nodded. "Shock and fear kicked in a few minutes later and I had to pull over, I was shaking so much. It became abundantly clear to me then, as I sat quivering like a coward by the side of the road, that I wasn't the man I wanted to be. I wasn't the man you deserved. I had nothing to recommend me and there was no way I could protect you; you, who were a danger magnet, and me with Alice's vision hanging over my head. That incident convinced me even more, that you were better off without me. If we'd been together in that parking lot…" He bowed his head. "I tortured myself with that thought all the way home.

"I was just a weak, ordinary, human male. And I was afraid that, without the things that made me _special_ , and different, I wasn't enough."

It was almost audible, the clean, swift, breaking of my heart for him. Tears spilled onto my cheeks and I dashed them away quickly.

"Edward, you know it wouldn't matter to me if you…"

He smiled and shook his head, letting me know I didn't need to say anything. I wanted to go to him. I wanted to wrap him in my arms and tell him I was sorry for what had happened to him, and that he was an idiot for thinking he was less because of it, but I didn't think it was the time. He needed to just get this out, and he needed me to listen. I pulled up my knees and hugged them to my chest.

"I was an even bigger mess after that," he went on. "I spiralled into a deep depression, but getting therapy wasn't an option. Can you imagine what my patient notes would say?"

"You'd be an interesting case study."

"Or the basis for a book. Horror genre, of course."

I smirked, heartened by his attempt to lighten the mood a little.

"No, more like fantasy, than horror," I teased. "Who'd play you in the movie version?"

"I don't know." He shrugged and pointed at himself. "I think we can agree, there's only one me," he said.

"You got that right." I took a long pull at my glass, processing all he'd told me, still not knowing whether I wanted to beat sense into him, or hug him until my arms broke.

"You obviously worked through it, though?" I said a moment later.

"I did." He sighed. "Carlisle was incredible. He did all he could, reading up on psychology and psychiatry and doing his best to adapt it to my situation. Still, there were times I thought about asking him to change me back, but…" He trailed off, then cocked his head, eyes suddenly thoughtful. "I don't want to sound pathetic," he said. "I'm worried it's beginning to seem that way."

"No! Not pathetic, just…very lonely. And confusing."

He nodded. "It was. A very lonely and confusing time." He shook himself, as if to escape the memories. "Anyway, one day, months later, I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, unshaven, uncaring, and I wondered what you'd think if you saw me right then, at that moment." He scrunched up his face. "The thought horrified me and I realised then I was actually perpetuating the situation, instead of improving it, so I decided I had to change.

"I started going to a gym, as much to get used to interacting with humans as to build myself up. I signed up for two different types of self-defence classes, and I enrolled in college. Rose and Emmett were in the process of finding their own place and I decided to do the same. I got an apartment not far from the campus and for the first time in my life, I had a place of my own." He rubbed at his stubbled jaw. "It was a good feeling," he said. "I began to feel less exposed, less vulnerable, as I got better at reading other people. My confidence slowly grew. Physically I became stronger. I began to feel better about myself. And emotionally, I out-grew those awkward, anxious, insecure teenage years, like every human does."

He pushed the whisky glass gently back and forth across the marble surface of the island.

"I finally became the man I was always meant to be."

I groaned, and dropped my head onto my knees. "And that's when you came looking for me again, and saw that photo. Am I right?"

He frowned as he slowly turned his glass in circles.

"Edward?"

He looked up. "Yes?"

"That smile you saw in the photo. It wasn't what you thought it was. It wasn't because I thought Alex was the love of my life." I hugged my knees tighter, watching the questions in his eyes. Questions he'd believe were none of his business, and would never ask.

"It was New Years, Renee was trying to get a nice picture and she didn't ask us to say cheese, she said to think of all the happy plans we had for the year ahead." I tugged absently at the hem of my jeans. "Graduation was only a few months away and I was _summa cum laude._ I'd already secured a fantastic internship, I had a new apartment lined up and I was going to New York in March for an exhibition of Shakespeare's manuscripts. My year was looking pretty great and I can remember thinking, as my Mom lined up the shot, the future was bright and I was excited. That's why I looked so happy."

The warmth in Edward's eyes went straight to my heart. Then his lips quirked with a smile. " _Summa cum laude_? I'm impressed."

"You should be."

"Not that I ever doubted you could do it. More wine?" He held up the bottle.

"No, I'm good, thanks."

He filled his empty glass with water and drank it down in one go. He'd obviously decided two whiskies were enough for one night.

"And then you came to Sydney, right?"

He nodded, and put the whisky bottle back on the shelf above the cupboards, and the wine bottle in the fridge. Then he grabbed an apple from the bowl, like Emmett had done, and bit into it.

"Want one?" he asked.

I shook my head, watching him. There'd been so many missed opportunities and wrong decisions but now we were here, together, on the doorstep of a future that was brimming with new possibilities.

He felt so far away, across the other side of the room, but at the same time, I knew these conversations would be harder if we were sitting close. We needed the distance and the space. But even so, I longed to be curled up in his lap.

My eyes wandered to the fridge, to the picture there. I thought of Uncle Nedwood, and Daddy Emmett, and dragons and tree houses. It had been so good to see Emmett again, and to see him so happy, even if his parting words had opened up a whole new can of worms.

"This tree house you're planning is pretty cool." The sketch was still on the coffee table and I nodded towards it.

"It should be," Edward said, smiling. "It's mostly Emmett's vision really, I'll just make sure the thing won't fall down. He's got a good eye for what kids like, very in touch with his inner-child, Emmett is. This is the second one he's had for the Max and Hannah, expanding them as they get older, I think. Actually, he could probably create a really successful business building extreme tree-houses."

"Oh! You could do that together!" I grinned as the idea grew. "Cullen Constructions. Oh, wait, no that won't work. McCarty and Mason? Mason and McCarty?"

"Tree House Builders Extraordinaire?" Edward chuckled. "Oh, the possibilities," he said and took another bite of apple.

"Tree Top Hideaways?" I suggested, smiling.

"Tree Houses R Us?"

"Wait!" I cried. "I've got a good one! Really good." And Edward began very dramatic drum roll on the counter top. "Are you ready?"

"Yep."

"Top Tree Houses!"

The drum roll stuttered and stopped. Edward looked at me blankly.

"That's it?"

"It's a play on words. Tree top? Top tree? Like, it's the top company for building tree houses. Top Tree Houses. Do you get it?"

"Er, yeah. I get it. How many wines have you had?"

I picked up a scatter cushion and threw it across the room at him. Of course it fell short, and he didn't even flinch. He did smirk though.

"It wasn't that bad," I pouted.

"Actually, it was. It was really bad."

I tried so hard to glare at him, as I took a sip from my glass, but there was a twinkle in his eye and all I managed was a giggle, which made me snort my wine and shoot it out my nose and down my shirt. Of course, that made Edward laugh. I thought the mortification would kill me, and I was surprised when it didn't. But then, despite my embarrassment, I was laughing too.

"Oh my God, it burns…"

Edward laughed even harder. I collapsed onto the sofa, racked with belly laughs that made my sides ache. Meanwhile, he was leaning against the fridge, head thrown back, body shaking, losing himself completely in the moment.

It was beautiful to see.

"I'm…sorry…" he gasped between breaths.

"Don't laugh…" I giggled. "It's not funny."

"Oh yes…" he gasped. "It's very funny."

The laughter went on for a while, gradually slowing to giggles, and then gasps as we caught our breath and wiped our eyes.

"It's funny because that was my most embarrassing moment," he said, coming out from the kitchen and dropping down next to me on the sofa.

"Seriously?" I asked. "You snorted wine out of your nose?"

"Fettuccini."

My mouth dropped open, and then the giggling started again.

"How did you manage that?"

His lips twitched as he tried not to laugh. And then I was surprised to see him blushing, a soft warmth flushing his cheeks.

"I was out at a restaurant. Eating fettuccini. Obviously. And I felt a sneeze coming, fast. I was mid-chew, so I grabbed a napkin, covered my mouth, but a piece of fettuccini shot out my nose."

"No!"  
The belly laughs were back. I flopped out of his arms and onto the sofa, squirming in laugh-induced agony while he grinned down at me.

"It hung there for a second," he said. "Swinging. I think I was in shock. And then it dropped off onto my plate."

"Ohmygosh…what…did you…do?"

"Apologised, wiped Alfredo sauce from my nose, then stood up and took my plate to the kitchen. Then I was so embarrassed I couldn't go back to the table so I left money with the waitress and left."

"Oh, Edward." My body seriously hurt now. "Who…were you…with?"

"It was a business meeting with my manager and two colleagues and a new client. It was my third day at my first job."

I gasped for breath. "That's seriously embarrassing."

"Yes, it is." He touched my nose, smiling. "I win."

I batted his hand away and he grabbed my wrist and pulled me upright again. We both slouched down on the sofa, shoulders touching. The heavy, fraught atmosphere, the hurt feelings of the last little while had been washed away, and the world was new and bright again. Perspective was back.

"How did we get onto all this?" I asked, wincing at the ache in my ribs.

"You came up with a terrible name for our tree house company."

"It wasn't terrible. I've got another Dinky Di Tree House Designs."

" _Dinky di_?" Edward's tone made me glance up. "You've immersed yourself in the local language, Bella."

"I know." I flashed him a smug smile.

"Do you know what it means?" he asked and I rewarded him with an eye roll of spectacular proportions.

"Of course I do. Beryl uses it sometimes. It means real. The genuine article. Authentically Australian. Doesn't it?" I was filled with sudden doubt. "It's the same as _true blue_. That's another one she uses….oh my gosh…" It all came together in my mind, and I could see as Edward's eyes lit up that we were on the same page.

"True Blue Treehouses!" Our voices chimed together. We both laughed, and then groaned, and rubbed at our sides.

"Edward, that sounds…"

"Perfect." He grinned. "It's a pity we don't actually have a tree house company to name."

"Not _yet_ , anyway. You should absolutely do this."

He was nodding, suddenly thoughtful. "It might be worth talking to Emmett about. It could be more than kids' tree houses, it could expand into bigger versions. Holiday houses. Weekend getaways. This could have potential."

The excitement was clear on his face, and I could practically see the ideas forming in his mind. I watched as he took a last bite of his apple and tossed the core neatly into the bin.

"Australia's been good for you and your family, hasn't it?"

"It has. We're very comfortable here," Edward agreed.

"Must have been hard at first, though. Lonely."

"It was. Very lonely. But I made friends. Good friends."

And just like that, my mood shifted as Fiona, Jenn, and Elise made a sudden reappearance.

Were they the friends he meant?

Bugger, as Beryl would say.

Why now, when we were having fun and things were relaxed and old hurt and misunderstandings had been cleared away?

I hugged my legs to my chest again.

Was this always going to happen? Would I always be wondering? Alexander and Sam had both had girlfriends before me and it hadn't bothered me like this.

Renee was a big believer in writing down worries or fears on a piece of paper, then tearing it up. "Clears the heart and the mind," she would say. "It's like throwing your worries away!"

Maybe I should grab my notepad and give it a try.

I should never have asked Edward about them. I wished now that I didn't know their names, or how long he'd been with them.

But I couldn't erase their names from my mind. They were there, and maybe that was the problem. Because I only had part of the story and I was filling in the gaps in ways I didn't like.

"Edward?"  
"Yes?"

"I think I want to know about your girlfriends. I think I need to."

There was a beat of silence, surprise registered clearly on his face, and then he nodded.

"Okay," he said. "Um…" He looked around, tugging his hand through his hair. "I was just going to suggest we get some fresh air." He motioned towards the deck. "The wind's died down, the rain's stopped. The furniture's been under cover and dry…would you like to sit outside?"

ooo

Bundled in a blanket, I curled up on one sun lounge while Edward sat on the edge of the other. The sea had calmed, the moon was out and it shone on the water, creating patterns of shimmering silver on the surface.

It felt peaceful out here, and I let myself absorb that peace. With every breath I took, I let it fill me, until the tight knot in my stomach began to unfurl.

I took another deep, calm, breath, as Edward settled himself, and began.

"Vampires are mostly self-sufficient, solitary creatures," he said, staring out at the view. "Whereas humans have very different needs."

"Oh…"

"I don't mean sex," he said quickly. "I'm talking about companionship. Connection. Belonging. We need it in a way that vampires don't. You would have seen a closeness among my family, and that's because we'd all kept in touch with our human sides, we cultivated those feelings as much as we could. When I became human again, those needs came back. Not right away though; I wasn't suddenly hit with the urge to run out and make friends with the first person I saw, but gradually I realised that, while I would never exactly be the life of the party, I did enjoy the company of others."

"You wanted friends."

The lamp light from the living room cast enough glow so that we weren't just a pair of silhouettes sitting on the deck. I was able to make out Edward's shy smile.

"Who'da thought?" he said.

Then he leant back, lying along the lounge with his long legs stretched out.

"It didn't really become such a thing until I moved here, until I truly believed that you'd found happiness with someone else and the best thing I could do, for you and me, was to let go."

He rubbed his hands over his face, sighing softly.

"Anyway, I'd been here a few months and I did start making friends, slowly. There was a bloke called Adam, we worked together in my first job here, and he introduced me to Aussie Rules. He became a good mate and we still get together to see the Swans play whenever we can.

"I got into bushwalking on weekends with a few people I'd met through the gym. We'd go up into the Blue Mountains for day treks, or sometimes we'd go canyoning, or abseiling. Fiona was one of the group."

My heart clenched as he folded his arms across his chest.

"It was just friendship. She'd had a bad break-up with her fiancé a few months before I met her. She wasn't looking for a relationship, and neither was I. She was easy to talk to and we had things in common apart from the gym and bushwalking and sometimes the two of us would get together for a concert or a movie. It was relaxed, easy. Pizza in front of the tv, that sort of thing." He paused. "It was nice to just _be._ "

He leant his head against the back of the lounge and stared up at the sky.

"We'd known each other for about eight months, nearly nine, and then one weekend we were riding mountain bikes along the Oakes Trail, and she came off hers. I stopped and went back and took her hand to help her up and once she was standing, she didn't let go right away. It surprised me. Then when she did drop my hand, I wished she hadn't. I missed the contact. And that was a surprise too, more of a shock really, that I felt that way."

He glanced across at me, buried in my blanket.

"You okay?"

I nodded, though I would have been lying if I said it didn't hurt to hear him talk like this. Although with each new piece of information, I found the hurt was becoming less and less. It was almost like listening to stories about other people, though I couldn't say why.

"Go on," I said. "I'm fine."

He looked back at the sea, his face thoughtful in the moonlight.

"This new humanity I'd been given was truly a miracle. I'd been given a _third_ chance at life, how incredible was that? And I began to wonder, as we walked the bikes back to the car…would it be so bad if I tried to find some happiness in that life? Would it be so bad if I tried to make the best of the precious gift I'd been given? Would it be wrong?"

He turned to me, and even in the shadows I could see the questions in his eyes. Eyes that asked if I understood.

"No," I whispered. "It wasn't wrong."

He dropped his gaze. When he spoke again his voice was soft, but certain.

"It wasn't a decision I made lightly, and it was still a while before anything happened between us." He paused again, gathering his thoughts once more, it seemed. "Times were different, _I_ was different - no longer seventeen and no longer living on the edge of society. And my view of the world had, in some ways, changed."

He was silent then, and the only sound was the soothing purr of the ocean. I rolled onto my back and studied the few stars that were peeking through the darkness. Ancient pin pricks of light, as old as time itself.

"You would have seen these same stars in 1918, wouldn't you?"

"No," Edward answered. "Wrong hemisphere."

"Oh." Of course.

"Same moon, though."

"Did it look the same back then?"

"Pretty much."

I rolled onto my side again. He rolled onto his, and we were facing each other.

"Why did you break up?"

"We decided we worked better as friends."

"No bad feelings then?"

"No, none. It was more of a mutual realisation. I think, looking back, we'd been a comfort to each other. We're still friends now, though we don't really see each other," he added quickly. "But, I did go to her wedding last year."

Her wedding.

Mentally, I took a variation of Renee's idea, and crossed Fiona's name off an imaginary list.

One down, two to go.

"What about Jenn?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "She worked in the café where I bought my coffee each morning before work. She was into photography, so was I, and we struck up a friendship. After a while it became something more, or at least, it seemed to be headed that way. We went out to dinner a few times. We saw some movies. Went to a couple of exhibitions. Took a lot of photos. She was bright and funny and creative, but the closer we got, the more it didn't feel right, and she sensed that too. So we ended it." He hesitated. "It was an affectionate relationship, but it never got serious." He gave me a significant look and my mouth popped open.

"You didn't sleep with her?"

"No," he said. "I didn't."

My heart did a little fist pump as Jenn just got her name crossed off the list, too.

A breeze blew in, tossing Edward's hair and he brushed it out of his eyes.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked, burrowing deeper into the purple cashmere.

"I'm fine," he said. "I don't feel the cold. Are you warm enough? Do you want to go in?"

"No. I like it out here."

"Promise you'll tell me if you change your mind."

"Promise."

He nodded, and rolled onto his back. "And then there was Elise," he said.

There was a slight change to the tone of his voice, very slight, but my ears pricked up.

"I knew her through work, she was the actuary who did the risk analysis on some the projects I managed. She had a brilliant mind, a quick wit and she was one of the first people I met when I started at Tully and Tomm. When she moved to a new job in Canberra, we stayed in touch, as friends, and we'd catch up whenever she came back to Sydney to visit. Gradually, things became…" He shrugged the end of his sentence. "It was a long distance relationship and it didn't work out."

I wanted to ask why, but I got the feeling the question wouldn't be welcome. The way he spoke about her was different than the others. More formal. Almost like it was a prepared speech.

He stayed staring at the sky, while I stared at him.

"Are you still in contact?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Um, bad break-up?" I hesitated a guess, unsure of his reaction.

"I thought we were on the same page about most things, but it turned out we weren't."

There was something he wasn't saying and I wondered if I could ask. Was it too private? Then I wondered if I even wanted to know.

While I was thinking this through, Edward turned onto his side, and his vivid eyes met mine.

"She cheated on me."

My mouth swung open like a squeaky gate.

"Oh my God…" That bitch! "Why? How did you find out?"

"Why? I never asked, but I can assume the distance was part of the problem. How? She sent a text to the wrong number. My number."

Oh, shit. "And I'm guessing it was obvious it wasn't meant for you?"

"It was more, ah, _descriptive_ than her usual communications. And my name's not Luke."

The gate was swinging again. "What did you do?"

"Replied with a polite request that she permanently delete my number from her contacts." He shrugged again. "Then I deleted hers from mine."

Very dignified. Very Edward.

I didn't know what to say. Did it make sense that I was hurt and angry on his behalf? In my imagination, I crossed Elise's name off the list, tore it up, and flushed the pieces down the toilet.

"That's just…I don't know what to say."

"I got over it."

The wind blew up again, lifting the edge of the blanket and chilling my feet. Edward reached over and re-tucked it snugly around me.

"I think that's everything," he said, settling back on his lounge. "My whole dating history. There's been no-one else. And, ah, no-one has stayed over, in case you were wondering. I didn't live here while I was dating Fiona, I never got that serious with Jenn, and Elise was three hundred kilometres away."

Then he frowned, softly. "Fiona did visit Rose and Emmett with me a couple of times. The others didn't. And of course, no-one knows the truth about my past." He paused. "I think that really is everything."

This last pieces of the picture shouldn't have mattered, but in a small way they did, and I was glad he'd told me.

But a sudden thought popped into my head and the words were out of my mouth before I could check them.

"Did you get tested? Crap, I should have worded that better. Um, I just meant that if she'd…you know…had other partners while…"

I stopped before I made things worse. It might be a valid question when starting a new relationship, but this probably wasn't the way to go about it.

There was a flash of confusion on Edward's face that quickly shifted into understanding.

"Er, I'm all good." He cleared his throat. "I've never gone unprotected."

That little declaration was unexpected.

"Never?"

He shook his head. "Not once."

"Why?"

"Just my preference. Well, it has been."

Wow. There was a flutter in my stomach as I thought what that might mean. I began to smile, and so did Edward.

We fell into silence as we lay on our sides, facing each other. At that moment the world slipped away, and there was only the two of us, with the stars and the low, soft, rumble of the sea.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for telling me everything."

He did the cutest little scrunch of his nose, and it made me laugh.

"It's been quite an evening."

"It has," he said. "Not exactly how I expected it to go." He chuckled softly. "Bloody Emmett."

I giggled again. "After tonight, do we have anything left to talk about?"

"I don't know. The weather, maybe?"

We were smiling at each other again.

"Do you think we can move forward now?" I asked. "Leave all that stuff behind?"

"I'd like that," he said.

The breeze tugged at his hair again and it blew it into his eyes. He brushed it back quickly, his long fingers pushing it out of the way with a flick.

"I'd like to get a gift for Hannah," I said.

Edward's smile widened. "We could go shopping tomorrow and find something."

"And the museum," I said. "I want us to go to the museum tomorrow. You need to see your ceiling."

"We'll do both," Edward promised.

I started to say that sounded like a plan, but the words got lost in a yawn.

"You're tired," he murmured. "And so am I."

I was about to protest and say I was fine, but the truth was the evening had left me completely wrung out and drained, and now it was all catching up with me.

"Bed time," I managed to say through another yawn. "I need my pillow." A moment later, before I'd even had a chance to sit up, Edward had lifted me into his arms and was carrying me slowly to the spare room.

He kissed my forehead as he set me down.

"Sleep well," he said. "I promise I won't watch."

"You don't do that anymore?"

"No." He stroked my cheek tenderly, his eyes smiling into mine. "Not anymore."

After all the long hours of talking, saying goodnight seemed to be happening too fast, but I was having trouble keeping my eyes open.

"You should go to bed," I whispered. "We both need sleep."

"Mm hm…"

But nobody made a move.

Then Edward sighed, pulled me to him, and kissed me so thoroughly I was breathless.

"I'll be next door if you need me," he said, voice rough as he let me go. And then the door was closing and he was gone.

My lips were still tingling as I undressed and pulled on the oversized t-shirt that I liked to sleep in.

I climbed into bed, pulled up the doona, and fell asleep to the sound of the shower running next door.

When I woke a little later, the shower had stopped, but the sound of a soft, rumbling snore was coming down the hall. With a sleepy smile, I rolled over.

"We'll have to fix that," I murmured, and fell back into a dreamless sleep.

-ooo0ooo-

 **A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews. They really make my day and I'm trying to respond to everyone but if I haven't got to you yet, please know how much it's appreciated : )**

 **Thank you Melanie for casting your eagle eye over my words. Mwah! xx Have you read Melanie's work? She's a NYT Best Selling author and you can find her on Amazon as Melanie Moreland.**

 **Oh, and the fettuccini incident? Yeah, that really happened. Won't say to whom : )**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-o0o-**

It was barely dawn when I woke, the sun little more than a dull glow in the corner of a still-dark sky.

I lay in my bed, staring through the slats in the blinds, listening to the silence as a new day began.

"The calm after the storm," I murmured, smiling as I stretched. Everything seemed peaceful in the room next door, too. No snoring.

I turned over, meaning to go back to sleep, but my mind, and heart, had other ideas.

I wondered how late Edward got up on Saturdays.

Probably not this early.

I turned my pillow over, kicked the doona off and then pulled it back on again, and finally gave up. With a yawn, I rolled out of bed, had a shower and pulled on the floaty summer dress that I'd packed because, well, I was staying in a beach house, and then crept to Edward's door. It was open a crack and I peeked in.

He was lying on his stomach, spread eagled across the bed. The sheet was gathered loosely round his hips. The doona had spilled onto the floor.

I'd seen him just like this before, that first day I'd come here, and yet it felt brand new. Without the shock and disbelief that had accompanied that initial glimpse of human Edward, I was now able to simply appreciate him.

We'd covered so much last night and now I felt freer, somehow. Free to love him without the doubts or the spectre of his exes, or the faint fear that I was forgiving too much too soon. He'd let me in, in a way he never had before, laying bare his insecurities and his pain.

It was hard to believe he'd been as insecure as me.

The urge to touch him, to caress that broad muscled back, was strong. Even stronger was the desire to curl up beside him and just _be close._

I wondered if this was how he'd felt, when he used to watch me sleep.

"Edward?" I whispered.

A soft snuffle came from the depths of the pillow, but that was all. With a smile I turned away, and went to make a cup of tea.

My previous three mornings here, I'd been rushing for work so today, with no deadline ahead, I decided to sit out on the back deck and breathe in the view.

It was stunning in the pale dawn light. The sea was smooth now, with washed up seaweed and drift wood making patterns on the sand like abstract artworks.

"So beautiful." I could get used to waking up here.

With a sigh, I went back inside, cleared away the tea things, packed up my bag so I could go back to the lumpy futon, and sent Rachel a text.

 _Hi, did you survive the storm?_

She had a policy of no phones in the bedroom, so I knew the notification _ping_ wouldn't wake her.

And there was still no sign of life from the master bedroom.

"You really do sleep like the dead," I mumbled, and wondered what to do with myself now. Go and bounce on Edward's bed? The idea was tempting, but I resisted and instead took a photo album off the shelf and sat down on the sofa. Until now the albums had been something to be wary of, but after last night, I didn't feel that way anymore, and opened the cover.

"Oh my God," I giggled. "I know this shot. First apartment, moving in day. It has to be." I had one almost exactly the same. Human Edward was collapsed on a sofa, surrounded by boxes, looking utterly exhausted. And a lot thinner than he was now, despite the fast food wrappers and drink cans that littered the coffee table.

The next pictures were the standard graduation photos; Edward alone and then with a smiling Carlisle and Esme. His vampire parents looked the same, of course, but also so proud. And Edward looked stronger and healthier than in the couch photo. I wondered how Esme and Carlisle explained their relationship to him that day because Esme was looking a lot like a younger sister.

And then Edward was obviously in Australia. The huge sign saying "Welcome to Sydney" was a giveaway and was followed by images of the harbour and the opera house. Some landscapes. And then halfway through, people started appearing in the photos. There was one of Edward and two other guys, clearly about to abseil over a cliff. But the shot that really caught my attention, was Edward on a beach.

Wetsuit rolled down to his waist, surfboard under his arm, walking along the sand. His hair was long, falling in waves around his shoulders, and my heart picked up a little.

I wondered vaguely who had taken the photo.

I was still staring at the image a moment later when my phone buzzed and Rachel's name flashed across the screen.

"Hi," I said, shutting the album. "You're up early. Did my text wake you after all?"

"No, I was already up."

"Everything okay?"  
She sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I forgot the window was open in your room, and the rain blew in. Your stuff's okay, though," she added quickly. "But the futon's ruined. And the carpet stinks like a wet dog. The place is a swamp."

I grimaced. "Oh, Rachel, I'm sorry…is there any damage?"

"It's just a mess, mainly. The carpet will have to come up, that's for sure, it's like a swamp. The wall's going to need repainting, it's stained and already bubbling and peeling. And there are leaves and bits of, I dunno, _stuff,_ all over the place. Right now I'm just trying to empty the room and dry it out. The living room is starting to look like a second-hand furniture store." She gave a rough laugh. "But it's okay, I've got a blow-up mattress in the garage. I'll set that up in the dining room and you can take my bed."

"Don't be silly," I said, scrambling off the sofa and heading for the hall. "I'll take the airbed. And I'm on my way now. Wait for me and we'll clean up together."

"You don't have to, Bella…"

"I'll see you soon."

I ended the call before she could protest any more, and went to Edward's room.

He was just the way I'd left him.

I hated having to go so suddenly, but I wasn't going to leave Rachel to clean up all alone.

"Edward?"

No response.

"Edward?" This time I walked over to the bed, and nudged his shoulder. "Edward!"

He sat up suddenly, surprising me, and I stumbled back, catching my foot in the doona puddled on the floor. I would have fallen against the window but Edward's strong hand was suddenly gripping my arm, holding me steady, keeping me upright and safe. And making me gasp. He'd moved so fast, I hadn't even seen it happen.

I stared down at his fingers round my wrist; so firm, but still so gentle. An unbreakable, steel strength reined in by incredible tenderness. This touch was familiar to me. It spoke of danger and safety all at once and I knew it well from another time; another life when Edward's skin had been cold.

It was startling to feel it again. And confusing. But when I lifted my gaze to his, I began to giggle.

His hair was all over the place, his face creased by sleep, and he was blinking at me, like an old owl that couldn't quite focus. Then he shook his head.

"Um, Bella? What…?"

"Sorry," I said. "I woke you up."

"Oh…"

He let go of me and a slow, sleepy, smile stole across his face.

"Good morning," he said, then yawned. My giggle became a laugh.

"Hi."

He sat back against the pillows, bare-chested with the sheet up to his waist, but when I sat on the edge of the bed he shifted over, making room for me. So I crawled up beside him.

Sitting with Edward in his bed, staring out at the ocean that was just coming to light, was a magical way to start the day. He raised his knees, making a tent with the sheet, as he took my hand in his.

"It's a beautiful view," I murmured.

"It really is." Then he turned to me, eyes soft. "Are we good?" he asked. "After last night?"

His question surprised me. "You thought I might feel differently? About us?"

"In the cold light of day…" He shrugged. "After unloading the way I did…"

Oh, Edward. I looked pointedly at him, then down at his bare chest and the sheets around his hips; at our clasped hands against his thighs.

"I'd say our current position speaks for itself, wouldn't you?"

He smiled, and kissed my temple. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did. Once the snoring stopped."

There was a flash of surprise, then humour, in his eyes. "Oh, you snore? I didn't hear you."

"Oh!"

"Actually I did hear you." He smirked. "I was just being polite."

"No, no, no, Edward. _You_ were the one performing the symphony of the nasal chainsaw!"

His eyes shot open. "The what..."

But his words were cut off when I grabbed a pillow and smashed him across the head. Laughing gloriously, he fell back on the mattress and while I knelt over him, raining down feathery blows, he reached behind, grabbed another pillow, and hit me in the shoulder with it.

"That the best you can do?" I asked, laughing, between blows.

"Not by a long shot." He grinned.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Prove it."

He rolled then, his legs smoothly and swiftly swiping mine out from under me, and suddenly I was on my back, gasping, and he was above, his thighs pinning me in place, green eyes blazing.

The twisted sheet was pulled taut around him as he braced his weight with his arms either side of me. His lips twitched with the hint of a smile and my heart was hammering so hard I thought it might break a rib.

He was so still, his gaze so intense, penetrative, like he was seeing all of me, heart and soul, and liking what he saw.

I could barely form a coherent thought; those eyes, the closeness of him, the heat of his body astride mine. The size of him was overwhelming. With trembling fingers, I traced the planes of his broad chest, feeling the hitch of his breath and the shiver of his skin beneath my touch as I followed the curve of hard muscle up to his powerful shoulders.

"You have freckles," I murmured, discovering the salt and pepper that lightly sprinkled those shoulders. "You've been in the sun."

I could feel his gaze on me as I touched him, its heat almost burning me.

"Why did you wake me?" he whispered.

"Hm?" I heard the question, but I was so lost in the moment that it's meaning didn't register.

He lowered his face, slowly grazing his lips across my cheeks, his voice a low rumble in his chest as I ran my fingers along his neck, into his hair.

"Why did you wake me, Bella?"

"Wake? Oh!"

And suddenly I was back in the real world and it was like being slapped with a cold fish. My hand dropped back on the bed.

"The futon's swampy."

Edward's confusion was clear. "The what?"

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Sorry, um, Rachel called a little while ago." And I filled him in on what had happened.

"Ah." Edward nodded and pulled back before carefully rolling off me. Lying flat on his back, he folded his arms behind his head. "That's unfortunate for your friend."

"The damage isn't too bad. The place is a mess though."

We laid there in silence, side by side, both of us staring at the ceiling. How was it possible to go from 90 to zero so quickly?

"I'll come with you," Edward said, interrupting my thoughts.

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to."

"I'll just be mopping and cleaning and maybe ripping up carpet."

"I'm sure another pair of hands would be useful."

I smiled. "True. Okay then, thanks. It's very kind of you."

"Not at all. It's very selfish of me, actually."

"Oh?"

"I'd rather be cleaning with you than doing anything else without you."

I touched his nose, grinning as he caught my hand in his. "That's cheesy, Edward."

Smiling, he kissed my knuckles, but then the smile faded as he sat up.

"Wait, is that _your_ room that's been affected? Where will you sleep?"

"Rachel has a camping mattress she's going to set up in the dining room."

He nodded and looked down, studying our joined hands.

"Okay." He stroked his thumb over mine. "That doesn't sound very comfortable, though."

"It'll be fine."

"You know, you can stay here." He lifted his eyes. "For as long as you want. You'd be much more comfortable. Until your flat is ready. Or, whenever."

His offer had surprised me, and my heart leapt in my chest, telling me to say yes, but my brain told me to slow down.

Living with Edward.

House sitting while he was away was one thing, but this was a whole new level.

But I wanted to do it. I really did.

Was it too much, too soon? Even if it would only be for a few weeks?

I didn't know.

We'd only known each other again for a short time.

We'd covered a lot of ground in that time, though. A _lot_ of ground.

"Um…"

He smiled and kissed my hand again. "But if you'd prefer not to stay, that's fine," he said. "I understand."

And I could see he did. He really did understand. It was there in his eyes and the tone of his voice. He knew it wasn't rejection. It was just timing.

But timing had been our enemy in the past. And life's short. Anything can happen. So sometimes you have to grab it with both hands, and hang on.

"Thank you," I said, smiling. "I'd like that. I'd like to stay."

Edward's smile was so bright, I started to giggle.

"I should get out of bed, then," he said. "We'll help your friend, and then bring your things back here."

"Sounds like a plan." Though I wondered what Rachel was going to say when I told her. I'd have to prepare myself for another lecture.

I waited for Edward to move, but he didn't.

"Um…" He tugged his hand through his hair and glanced down pointedly to where the sheet covered him.

"Oh, sorry! Of course." Cheeks flaming, I climbed off the bed. "I'll let you get dressed."

I heard him chuckle softly as I headed for the door, then there was the soft creak of the bed and the rustle of linen. On my way out I pulled the door behind me, but it didn't catch. I turned back to try again and accidentally caught a glimpse of him as he walked into the ensuite. I shut the door quickly, but my mouth swung open. For a second I stood in the hall, smiling to myself.

Edward had a tattoo on his hip, and the most perfect backside I'd ever seen.

o0o

I was making coffee, listening to the shower and wondering about the ink on Edward's skin, when Rachel called again.

"It's okay," she said. "You don't need to come."

"Don't be ridiculous. We're just having breakfast and then we'll be right over."

"No, seriously. It's okay. Um…" She paused. "That cute guy that moved in over the road has offered to help me."

"Oh?" I pulled up a stool and sat down, grinning. "That sounds interesting."

"Mm, well, we'll see. His name's Steve." There was a smile in her voice. They'd been exchanging waves and shy smiles for a couple of weeks, now. "Anyway, I just didn't want you to rush right over or anything. Unless you really want to, but if there are other things you had planned for today…hey, did you say _we_ were coming over?"

"Edward and me. He wants to help."

There was a moment of silence and I waited for the lecture.

"So it's seriously back on, then?"

"Yeah. It is. Actually, he's offered me his spare room for as long as I need and I was thinking, since the futon's out of action and you don't really need another person in the way with painters and new flooring going on…"

More silence.

"Okay, I know what you're saying, and yes it's going to be cramped and uncomfortable here for a while, especially with the dogs, but Bella, are you _sure_ this is the best thing? Look, I don't mean to be a downer but you're my friend, I care about you, and I just wonder if it's a bit soon. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know, and I love you for it. But it'll be okay," I said. "We've done a lot of talking, worked through a lot of things, and things are different now. Very different, and we're going in the right direction." I laughed. "Come on, Rachel. You're usually the biggest romantic out there, wanting people to let their hearts rule their heads." Though she'd been less than romantic the day I'd given her the angry, abridged version of my breakup with Edward. It was understandable though, given the things I'd said about him.

"This isn't a book or a movie, Bella," she said. "You can't flick to the last chapter or google the ending to check if it's a happy one. After what happened with him, how can you be _so sure_?"

How?

"I just am."

The silence at the end of the phone told me Rachel wasn't as convinced as I was.

"Look, I know it sounds vague, but some things you can't explain. You just know, okay? Sometimes you just know these things..."

"Deep in your heart?"

"Er, yes okay, deep in your heart. And you have to trust. And now I sound like the blurb on the back cover of one of your Harlequin Romances."

"You're right, you do." She giggled, then sighed. "I can hear in your voice that you mean it. Okay, so if it's about trust, I guess I should trust you to be right about this."

"Gee, thanks."

There was the faint trace of enthusiasm in her next words, the romantic in her making a cautious appearance now.

"Has he gone for the grand gesture, is that it? Hearts and flowers? Your name written across the sky?"

"No, none of that."

"Oh. Has he told you he loves you?"

"Yes."

"And have you told him?"

Luckily I managed to side-step that question when I heard the shower stop, and told Rachel I had to go.

"I'll see you this afternoon," I said. "Will that give you enough time with Steve?"

"If it seems like you might arrive at an inopportune moment, I'll just leave your bags on the front step."

"You're funny," I chuckled and then I said goodbye as Edward walked into the room.

His hair was wet, and small water drops dotted the white t-shirt he wore over jeans, making patterns across his shoulders. It was a good look.

"D'you want to get breakfast on the way?" he asked when I put the phone down.

"We're not needed anymore," I said and filled him in about the cute guy over the road. "I got the feeling we'd just be in the way."

Edward's lips twitched with a smile. "Well, we wouldn't want that," he said, coming round to my side of the bench. "So, now that we have time, I'm going to make you the best breakfast you've ever eaten."

He brushed past me, his hand caressing my arm and drifting to my lower back. "Do you like avocado?"

It was fun, watching him prepare. Poached eggs with avocado and salmon was his plan, and while he worked we talked about little things: Hannah's birthday gift, the best coffee shops in the city, the new spy movie just out. Whether avocados should be kept in the fridge or out.

I wanted to ask him about the tattoo, but I didn't want him to know I'd sort of accidentally taken a sneaky peak while he was naked.

Maybe the chance would come later.

On a trip to the fridge, Edward noticed the photo album lying on the sofa.

"What did you discover this time?" he asked, smiling, and the tattoo left my thoughts.

"You. Passed out after moving into your first apartment. Just as a guess."

"Ah," he chuckled softly, nodding. "That was a big day."

"And graduation. Is Esme your sister now?"

"She is. And Carlisle's my brother-in-law."

"Thought so. And then there was you looking pretty hot on a beach with a surfboard."

"Hot?" He considered for a moment, smiling as he mashed an avocado. "Okay, I'll take that. So, er, what else did you see?"

I flashed him a sheepish smile. "I didn't actually get past the surfboard. I'll have to go back and look at the rest later."

He took a lemon from the fruit bowl, cut it in half, then squeezed a little juice into the avocado.

"Bella, just so you know, there are a couple of photos of Fiona in that album." He looked up, a slight wariness in his eyes.

"Oh. Um, you mean affectionate, happy-couple type photos?"

He nodded slowly and I took a second to process what he'd said. It didn't come as a shock, I'd assumed there would be photos.

"I guess I'd be surprised if you didn't," I said. "Especially if you're on good terms. But it's me sitting here, watching you make breakfast."

His lips twitched with a smirk. "It is you, yes."

The sun had been making it's way into the sky and as Edward turned back to his task, a beam of light fell on his hands. He looked up and towards the view.

"Bella…"

"Mm?"

He turned back to me, his smile bright. "Can breakfast wait? I want to show you something."

Five minutes later we were walking along the beach towards the headland and the lighthouse, holding hands and laughing.

"We're going to climb up there? Are you serious?"

"Sure, why not?"

"It's a cliff!"

"Nah…" He tugged me close, laughing , and wrapping his arm snugly around my waist. Under his other arm was tucked a tartan blanket. "There's a track. It'll be muddy, though." Which was why he'd suggested I wear my sneakers. "But I hope you'll think it's worth it when we get to the top."

The climb was steep in parts, and though the track was indeed muddy, it wasn't as hard as walking over wet sand in rubber soled shoes. The incline towards the top was hard though, and while Edward barely broke a sweat, I was huffing and puffing and letting him practically drag me the last few metres.

When we finally got to the top though, it was the view that really stole my breath.

"Oh my God…Edward…"

"Incredible, isn't it? Come on, it's even better this way."

He led us past the sandstone lighthouse and the old caretaker's cottage, and along a bushy outcrop that extended over the sea. There was a flat area of grass and he spread the blanket there.

"We've missed the sun breaking over the sea," he said. "But this early light is still beautiful."

He was right. It was beautiful.

It wasn't much past seven o'clock, and the sea and sky were still coming to life. The sky was a pale gold, only beginning to hint at the blue to come, and light sparkled on the water like glitter.

The ocean was in front of us. To the right was the peninsula; the sweeping beach on one side and the tranquil bay on the other. To the left was the dramatic coastline heading north.

Edward stood behind me, his arms curled round my waist, holding me tight against him.

"I wanted to share it with you," he whispered and I felt his lips press a tender kiss to my temple.

"I think I want to stay here forever."

He laughed softly. "Maybe we should buy the lighthouse and live here."

"Yes." I turned, grinning. "Maybe we should." I looked beyond him, back to the sandstone tower. "Is it inhabited?"

"Not for years. All automated and the caretaker's cottage is an information centre now, but we could convert it back. I'm sure the state government would let us keep the headland all for ourselves."

It was all in good fun, just joking around, but there really was something magical about the place, and I really didn't want to ever leave.

We sat on the rug, drinking in the view.

"Do you come here much?" I asked him. "I think I'd come every day."

"I come up a lot. I used to bring Ren with me sometimes."

The mention of his dog surprised me, and I waited to see if he'd say something more. After a moment, he did.

"I'd have to keep him on a leash though, just in case he went over the edge chasing a lizard." He smiled at some memory. "Most of the time he came if I called, but if he was in the moment, on the hunt, then he'd ignore me and I'd have to chase after _him_." He chuckled softly. "And then he'd know he was in trouble. He'd come and nudge my leg over and over until I patted him."

"He sounds like a good dog."

Edward nodded, staring out to sea. "He was my best mate, and a very good listener."

"Except when there was a lizard around?"

He smiled. "Except for then, yes."

I reached out and took his hand, my heart aching for him and the loss of his best mate. He'd no doubt told Ren things he could never tell anyone else.

"What sort of dog was he?"

"A bit of everything, I suspect." Edward's thumb stroked over mine, a gentle back and forth. "He was a stray and I'd only been in Australia a couple of months when he literally followed me home one day. We were both a bit lost back then, so we just stuck together."

A breeze came up and blew some hair into my eyes. Edward reached over and tucked it back behind my ear. As his fingers grazed my skin, I asked how he came up with Ren's name.

"It's not the usual Fido or Spot."

"Short for Renfield," he said and there was mischief in his eyes. "Have you ever read Dracula, by Bram Stoker? Renfield was the vampire's sidekick."

I gasped. "Really?"

"My little joke. A nod to my past."

He grinned when I giggled, and then pointed out a sail boat on the horizon.

I shifted closer to him and he pulled my legs into his lap. There was a large rock behind us and we leant back against it. The sun rose higher, its warmth dancing on our skin, and Edward sighed.

"You like that," I said.

"Very much. Never gets old."

There was such tranquillity in his face. A calmness that was both new and beautiful. And it made me wonder.

"What's the best thing about being human?"

"Sleep!" he said without hesitation and I laughed.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised."

He laughed too and ran his hand along my leg, stopping at the hem of my dress.

"What's so good about sleep?"

"The escape." His long fingers drew circles around my knee and he studied their motion carefully. "You don't get that as a vampire. With sleep, every day is like…" He glanced up at me, a kind of amused horror on his face. "Oh God, I'm going to sound like an inspirational bumper sticker!"

"Well don't stop now!" I laughed. "I've got to hear this, go on, inspire me, change my life!"

He chuckled. "Okay, but you asked, remember that when you're rolling your eyes."

"Noted."

He looked down again, at his fingers as they nudged the fabric of my dress just a fraction higher. He began gently tapping a rhythm above my knee. His touch made my skin tingle.

"You playing the piano on my thigh?"

"Your lullaby," he murmured, almost to himself it seemed and my heart swelled a little at the memory of the music he'd composed for me. "It seems appropriate as I gather my thoughts and try to sound less like a fridge magnet."

"I thought you were a bumper sticker."

He smiled. "Either we were talking about sleep." He sighed. "When you sleep, it gives you a break from the world, and more importantly, from yourself. So every day feels like a clean slate, a fresh chance. It's…renewing." His eyes flicked to mine. "If you're going to roll your eyes, now would be the time."

"I'm not rolling my eyes," I assured him. "I think I can see what you're saying. Without sleep there's no...definition? To life? Would that be right?"

He nodded, frowning slightly, his fingers playing their silent music. "Exactly. Imagine never being able to get away from yourself. Or maybe another way would be to say, imagine reading a book without any commas or fullstops, just one long, long, sentence. The story will lose its meaning along the way, everything runs together, until the words are just, well, _words_." He gave my knee a gentle squeeze. "Of course, you interrupted the monotony."

"Oh? Which was I? A comma, or a fullstop?"

"You?" He smirked. " _You_ were an exclamation mark."

He drew one on my leg, and then went back to tracing spirals from ankle to knee while I thought of the times I'd felt fed up and sick of myself, and had to agree with him. Renee always said a good sleep and a good laugh cured everything.

"So nothing's better than sleep, huh?"

"Mm, actually, there is one thing."

He'd stopped his drawings, his finger holding still on my leg.

"One thing? Okay, let me guess um, food? Sunlight?"

"My soul."

It wasn't what I'd been expecting.

"But…but you've always had a soul."

He shrugged, obviously unconvinced and I remembered a long-ago conversation with Carlisle, about this subject. He'd told me it didn't matter what I believed, if Edward believed differently.

"Maybe," he said flatly. "But as a human, I have a chance at eternity. A different sort of eternity where there's peace, and where I see my parents again. And you, even if we hadn't found each other on earth again." He brushed some sand off the rug. "Before, I used to have a sort of waking nightmare. What would happen if I outlived the earth?" He raised his head and looked at me with ancient eyes. "What if I spent eternity floating alone in the blackness left behind?"

As unreal as the idea might be, it still sent a shiver down my spine.

"I…I don't think that would ever have happened, Edward." Though now I was feeling a suffocating sort of panic at just the thought.

He shrugged again. "Probably not. But it'll give you an idea of how I feel about an endless existence. Sometimes I wanted to go into the woods and scream."

My heart twisted, the pain of his nightmares coming alive in my my chest.

"Edward, I..." I wanted to say I was sorry, but I didn't know what for.

He flashed me a quick smile. "But none of that matters anymore, because I have _now._ And I'm never going back. I'll never give up my soul."

Then he shook himself, as if to shake off the nightmares of the past. "This is getting too heavy," he said. "You wanted to know the good things about being human?" The mood lifted now with the brilliance of his smile as he began a list.

"We've already covered sleep, and souls, but there's also the sun, and having sunrise _as well as_ sunset. Dogs. The relief you feel at the end of the day when you come home and kick off your shoes and at last your body can just _stop_. Nachos, definitely nachos. And steak. A really good steak. Extra rare."

" _Extra_ rare? So basically raw?"

His eyes narrowed, but his mouth hinted at a smile.

"I'm not an animal, Bella," he said, then continued. "A cold drink when you're thirsty. Dinner with friends. The potential for a family. Being able to travel without checking the weather reports or if there's an after-dark curfew at the airport." He stopped and cocked his head, his eyes curious as he looked at me. "What do you like about being human?"

I laughed, surprised. "I've never thought about it. At least, not like that. I've never had anything to compare it to."

"True," he said, nodding. "The comparison might give a different sort of perspective."

The ocean was gradually changing colour, from silver to green.

"Sunrises," I said. "Definitely sunrises."

"Sunrises are good," Edward agreed. "And I'm thinking we should have brought breakfast with us."

"Yes!" The thought of a picnic breakfast here, with this view, was wonderful. "Next time," I said.

"Tomorrow," he whispered and his eyes promised not just the next day, but forever.

I smiled, and touched his face, my hand rising with the movement of his cheek as he smiled too.

"Tomorrow," I whispered back.

Edward turned his face, and kissed my palm.

Rachel had asked me to explain how I was sure, and now, staring into Edward's eyes, I realised I _could_ explain. It wasn't any one thing, no grand gesture or flowery declaration. It was a lot of little things, all adding up. Little things that made me beyond certain of this man's love and commitment.

It was when he taught himself to make mushroom ravioli, for me. And when he'd offered me his home while he was in Melbourne so I didn't have to compete with a pair of spoiled dogs for a pillow.

It was loud and clear when he gave up the biggest night of his career to sit on my front step for three hours, in the cold, waiting for me. Waiting to tell me he'd fight fate.

It was his raw honesty last night.

It was just now, when he talked about tomorrow.

But I realised that what truly made me sure was the image of Edward in a tuxedo, on his knees, frowning as he un-snagged the hem of my evening gown from a concrete garden gnome. There had been such care and concentration on his face, and in his touch, as he'd so patiently, gently, untangled the delicate fabric. Then he'd walked behind me afterwards, carefully carrying the train in his hands, as I made my way inside.

No grand gestures needed. No hearts and flowers necessary.

Just a man and a garden gnome.

"Edward?"

His eyes had been closed, but he opened them now, squinting slightly as he smiled at me.

"Mm?"

"I love you."

His smile faltered, faded, almost as if he hadn't understood. He stared at me, unblinking for a moment, and then the smile came back. Slowly.

It was like watching the sun come up, the joy in his face so dazzlingly brilliant it would have lit up last night's blackout.

"I wouldn't let myself hope th..." His voice broke and he stopped to clear his throat, inhaling deeply. When he spoke again his words were simple, but they carried in them the weight of his love.

"I love you, too. Always."

Then he kissed me, and if there had been the hint of restraint before, it was gone now.

In the past, Edward had kissed me chastely. Yesterday he'd kissed me with passion and need. But this kiss, now, was different. Holding me to him, his lips claimed me with an unbridled joy and raw possession.

A joy and possession that mirrored my own.

I couldn't get close enough, couldn't hold him hard enough. Wrapped round each other, the world fell away, and I was lost to him. The sound of the sea drowned by the crashing of my heart; the sun eclipsed by the love in his eyes.

Then we were lying down and his lips moved from mine, burning a trail of fire over my throat and along my shoulder, kissing over the top of my breasts and making me gasp. I arched my neck, letting him know I wanted more, and he lifted his gaze to mine. Then he slowly slid the straps from my shoulders, and I was bare before him.

Edward's eyes burned as he took me in. I watched him, breathless, his adoring gaze was like a caress gently moving over my breasts.

"Please..." I whispered.

His hand trembled as he touched me, his fingers following the path of his eyes, his wide palm cupping me, thumbs teasing, making me arch and sigh and my skin tingle and tighten.

His journey stopped where my dress rumpled round my waist.

Then he lowered his head.

I moaned his name as he paid careful, careful attention to one breast, and then the other, the dedication of his lips making me gasp and sigh while I clutched at his hair, and the tufts of grass beside us. Inside me, a fire was building.

"More..." I murmured when he stopped, pushing my leg between his and feeling the hard heat of him. "Please, more..."

I gasped when I felt his hand on my thigh.

The feel of Edward hooking his fingers in the sides of my undies and slowly sliding them down my legs, was heart stopping. The soft glide of silk, the faint brush of his fingers over sensitive skin. Inside me, the heat of anticipation burned hotter than any flame as he watched me.

My body burned with the want of him.

The love of him.

Then he moved lower and keeping his eyes on mine, dipped his face between my thighs.

"Oh..."

I moaned, giving myself up to the fire that came from the wicked rhythm of his lips and tongue, from each exquisite stroke and flick. From his eyes as he watched me, finding his own pleasure in mine.

A pleasure so intense it was almost painful.

A slow swirl of his tongue was my undoing. I cried out his name, thrusting against him and his mouth kept time with me, his hand clutching mine, holding on, letting me dig my nails into his skin. Until finally, I was breathless and boneless.

Edward laid beside me, gathering me into his arms.

"That was..." I shook my head against his chest, still trying to catch my breath, trying to find the words.

With his fingers beneath my chin, he tilted my head, smiling into my eyes.

"You are, truly, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." His voice was soft, tender, and tinged with awe. His eyes shone, and I had never felt so loved.

The blush roared across my cheeks and though he'd just watched me fall apart in the most abandoned way, I felt suddenly shy with him.

We laid there quietly, in the peace and the warmth, and as I came back down to earth, Edward held me, placing kisses at my temple, on my cheek and in my hair.

I moved closer to him, if that was even possible, and became very aware of his own pressing need.

Suddenly, I wasn't so sleepy.

"Your turn," I whispered, cupping him.

His eyes widened, then rolled back in his head as he groaned. He turned onto his back, lifting his hips and pressing himself into my hand. He reached down, slowly tracing a pattern over the back of my hand, then drifting to the zipper.

"I'll do that," I said, then stopped as I heard a dog barking in the distance.

We looked at each other, and then Edward laughed softly.

"Come on," he said, voice thick as he sat up. "I want to take you to bed."

o0o

Brilliant sun shone through Edward's window and I was laughing as he picked me up and tossed me playfully onto the bed. The doona billowed up around me.

"Like being on a cloud," I grinned at him, my body humming.

"Mm..."

He reached behind him, ready to pull his t-shirt over his head, but I stopped him.

"Wait," I said, and he froze, eyes cautious.

"Have I..."

I shook my head, and crawled over to him. "I want to do that."

His eyes flared and he slowly brought his arms back round, before raising them in the air.

I tugged the t-shirt upwards, my heart getting faster with each inch of skin I exposed. As I pulled it over his hair, he dipped his head and caught my lips in a quick kiss, surprising me.

"Cheeky," I whispered. He winked, pulled me to him, and kissed me more thoroughly, before stepping back, breathless. Eyes closed, he pressed his forehead to mine.

"Is this real?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "It's real."

He sighed, then opened his eyes. "Very real." A soft smirk graced his lips. "Where were we?"

"Here, I think." I pressed my hand over the front of his jeans and a thrill went through me as I heard him moan.

"Yeah," he murmured. "There."

The zipper stuck. I tugged gently, then harder, but it wouldn't move and the tremor in my hands didn't help. Edward had to do it for me, his long fingers taking charge. The zipper came down easily for him, and I took over to push the denim down his legs, until he kicked them aside so they lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.

He had great legs. Muscular. Strong.

He stood before me, naked, with the sun shining on his body and need glowing in his eyes. He was a lot of man to take in.

A lot of beautiful man.

I took his hand and brought him with me onto the bed.

"I want to look at you," I whispered and he smiled, laying back, arms behind his head, as I discovered the gift before me.

His skin shivered as I touched him, as I explored the planes of his chest, the sweep of his torso, the hollows of his hips.

"Mount Everest?" I asked, touching the simple lines of ink, depicting a mountain with the sun rising over it.

He nodded, his breath hitching as I traced the lines, watching me through hooded eyes as I continued to explore him. Beneath his skin, his muscles rippled and twitched under my fingers, his breath coming faster as each moment passed.

When I curled my fingers round the length of him, he hissed, his hips bucking slightly. He was beautiful. And very, very, hard. My own body ached with the need for him.

I leant down, pressed my lips to his, and gasped softly as he rolled us so he was braced above me. He kissed me, and then in one smooth movement, made me his.

He groaned, low and deep, a sound of sweet, precious, relief, and a tremor ran through his body.

The sensation of him, the closeness, the _perfection,_ stole my breath and stopped my heart. I touched his face, and found myself drowning in the silent wonder I saw in his eyes.

Edward was very still, his gaze locked with mine, and I savoured this first moment that would never come again.

I whispered that I loved him. He kissed me, softly, sweetly. And then he began to move.

He took his time, letting me feel every slow, solid, inch of him in an exquisite rhythm that declared his love, his possession, over and over. His body was powerful, the hard muscles of his back flexing and rippling beneath my hands as I clutched him, pulling him closer, as close as I could get him. I was lost in him once more, taking what he gave and giving it back until I didn't know where he ended and I began, and a new sensation began to build inside me. Something powerful, and raw. Something beyond ecstasy. He held me tighter as I cried his name, arching against him as his love rolled through me, taking me to a place I'd never known existed, where there was nothing but the man inside me.

He followed me a moment later. My name a breathless gasp on his lips that became a roar as he threw back his head, and his body tensed and jerked and trembled.

"Oh...Bella..."

Still shaking, his arms crumpled beneath him. He collapsed onto the bed and curled himself around me and I held onto him as hard as I could.

"I never knew..." he murmured.

"Neither did I."

At some point, we came back to earth. It might have been minutes. Could have been hours. The heaving of Edward's chest began to slow, and so did my breathing.

"Wow," he whispered.

"Wow," I agreed.

He caressed my cheek, his fingers moving tenderly back and forth.

I ran my fingers through his hair, gently stroking the back of his neck.

He went to kiss me as I moved to kiss him. We bumped noses, then chins, and smiled into each other's eyes, giggling.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"The best thing about being human, is you."

o0o

 **A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement and continued support for this story, it means so much : )**

 **This chapter was beta'd, so any mistakes are mine. If you see something I've missed, please let me know.**

 **Next chapter...a visit to Rosalie and Emmett : )**


	16. Chapter 16

**All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-o0o-**

 **This is short and, hopefully, sweet.**

 **The master bedroom.**

 **Afterglow.**

 **Edward's point of view...**

Edward felt as if he'd touched the sun.

He wondered, as he lay whispering with Bella, smiling into her eyes, if he would ever come back to earth.

He didn't think he wanted to.

His body hummed, alive with new emotions, still revelling in new sensations he'd never known existed.

He also wondered if he'd ever get this smile off his face.

He didn't think so.

The sun was streaming through the windows, bright ribbons of light shining on their bodies that were tangled so closely, they could almost be one person.

A few minutes ago, they had been.

The swell of emotion he'd felt as he'd taken her had almost been too much. The vivid, brilliant, love in her eyes. The feel of her. The softness of her. The sensation of velvet warmth as she took him in...

He'd gasped, and groaned, and thought his heart might burst.

She'd been beautiful on the cliff top, a glorious revelation that had brought him almost to his knees, but having her beneath him, in his bed, bare and wanting, her body open for him, loving him...

There were no words.

Instead, he had let his body show her what he felt in his heart. And in his soul.

When she'd cried out his name, her nails sinking into his skin as she arched against him, he'd lost himself. His world had spiralled and spun as he came apart, the power of his love burning through him, and the intensity of his shattering release, his _relief_ , was almost painful.

He had never felt more human, or alive, or _loved_ , than in that moment.

Now, he leant in and gently brushed his lips over hers, winding his fingers in her tousled hair. But when he pulled back and saw the tears brim in her eyes, he felt a flash of panic.

"Bella..."

"That's how it's supposed to be, isn't it? Complete. Like there was nothing before, and there'll be nothing after?" She bit her lip. "Am I making sense?"

Relief washed over him, and he kissed away the tear that had spilled onto her cheek.

"Like you've touched someone's soul, and they've touched yours?" he asked.

Bella nodded.

"Yes," he whispered. "To everything."

He pulled her closer, tucking her head beneath his chin, her cheek pressed to his chest. They sighed together, a shared sound of contentment, and laughed. He gently stroked her back, a gentle sweeping caress from top to bottom. He drew spirals down her spine, and wrote their names across the small of her back, making her smile.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"That life doesn't get any better. And I never want to get out of this bed." She lifted her head. "What about you?"

He pushed the hair back from her face, and felt himself drowning in those smiling brown eyes.

"That life doesn't get any better." He beamed at her. "And that I never want to get out of this bed." He traced her lip with his thumb. "And even though this morning is the stuff of sonnets, and poetry, and music, there are no words or instruments or concertos that can convey what I feel right now. What I will _always_ feel for you."

Bella's eyes filled, her lower lip trembled and Edward swooped in and kissed it quickly.

"Don't cry," he whispered.

As he pulled back, he noticed flecks of pale blue on the sheets. Pale, greyish blue, like the paint on his walls. He swivelled his head, looking behind him.

"Oh..."

Bella lifted her head. "What's up...oh..."

There were chips in the paint and dents in the wall around the sleek, low-profile bed head. Edward blinked, staring at the damage as two and two rapidly made four. And then four escalated to sixteen, then thirty two. As he got to 128, he sat up, fast.

"Are you alright?" His frantic gaze roamed over Bella's glorious body as she sat up too. "My God, did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine," she said, leaning over to kiss him. "I'm perfect."

He exhaled. "Oh, I noticed that," he said, kissing her back. "Believe me." But his hands ran over her just the same, checking.

Then Bella glanced at the damaged wall. "So, um, wow. That's...did we...?"

Edward tugged his hand through his hair. "I think so."

"How did we not notice?"

They shared a look. He winked.

"We were busy," he said.

Bella giggled, and ran a finger in a slow line from Edward's chest downwards. "We might have to move the bed into the middle of the room next time."

A growl, low and deep, came from him and Bella squealed as he pounced. She fell back on the bed and Edward took his time, his lips and hands teasing, discovering and worshipping each curve and valley while she gasped and sighed and shivered under his touch. But then, in a smooth move that surprised Edward, she rolled over and gave him a gentle push, letting him know she wanted him on his back.

He complied.

With his hands behind his head, he laid back and watched in silent wonder as Bella paid the same devoted attention to him. His muscles quivered and his skin shivered as she kissed her way across his chest and down his torso, following the faint trail of fine, bronze hair. He moaned as she dipped her tongue into his navel. He bit his lip as she nibbled the insides of his thighs and kissed the tattoo at his hip. When she took him in her mouth he cried out, his back arching off the bed, hands fisting in the sheets as he panted and groaned, calling her name, and God's.

And then Edward touched the sun again.

o0o

He felt himself drifting slowly to the surface, aware of his body curled tight around Bella's.

He smiled a lazy smile, and yawned.

"Hi." Bella's voice sounded as sleepy as he felt.

"Hello." The sun had moved across the room a little and he checked the bedside clock.

"It's ten thirty," Bella said.

"I fell asleep?"

"Just for a little bit. We both did." She nuzzled his cheek with her nose. "Busy morning."

"Mm..."

Was it really only this morning that he'd taken her up to the lighthouse? He hooked his leg around hers, rubbing his foot along her calf, and then stopped when his stomach rumbled.

"Um..." He gave Bella a sheepish look and she laughed.

"That's usually my line." And as if to prove the point, her own stomach joined in.

"We never did get breakfast. Come on," he said. "Lets shower, and eat."

Edward had a good sized shower in the ensuite, plenty of room for two. As he helped Bella wash her hair he marvelled at the turn his life had taken.

Since Bella had told him she wanted to try again, he'd been cautious in his joy. He had let her lead, followed her pace, and walked a fine line, not wanting to overwhelm her with the depth of his feelings, or seem like he was detached and indifferent. He knew that _too much, too soon_ could be as bad as _too little, too late_.

And he had never assumed.

Every moment with her was a gift. He'd done a lot of damage, he knew that, and even if Bella had forgiven him he would never forgive himself for hurting her as he had, but every day his hope had risen slightly for a future with her.

And now, he was up to his wrists in frothy suds, washing her hair after making love to her in his bed. And she'd told him twice that she loved him.

"You okay?" Bella asked, turning to look up at him. "You've stopped."

He smiled down at her.

"I'm just...savouring," he said.

He didn't know what he'd done to deserve a second chance such as this. He had steadfastly believed for so long that he and Bella weren't meant to be; that a woman so beautiful, so perfect, could never be meant for someone like him, human or otherwise.

That she had chosen him, after everything he'd done, was a miracle. And he knew he wouldn't just fight fate for her. He'd fight the world and everyone in it, if he had to.

He'd walk through fire, for her.

He'd do _anything_ for her.

Give her anything she wanted. _Anything._

He bent to kiss her but the suds ran into her eyes and she squealed and danced back.

"Stings, stings, stings," she chanted.

So Edward gave her the wash cloth.

o0o

Breakfast had really become brunch and they'd gone down to the beach to eat. Sitting on a rug on the sand, they ate avocado on Turkish rolls and drank juice while they watched the waves. Edward was still on a high, and from the goofy grins she kept flashing him, he thought Bella was too. He kept playing their morning together over and over in his mind while planning for the evening to come.

He decided he really was the luckiest bastard on the face of the earth.

"Do you think you'll get any more tattoos?" Bella asked, tracing her finger over the denim of Edward's hip.

"Probably not," he said. "Unless..." He stopped himself quickly.

"What?"

He shook his head and drank from his cup. He didn't want to seem like he was assuming too much.

"Edward? Come on, don't be shy." Bella leaned in and nibbled at his ear lobe. "Not after this morning."

He smirked and kissed her quickly.

"I was going to say, if I did get another tattoo, I might do like Emmett has done."

"Emmett has a tattoo?"

"Two of them. He'll be adding a third in a few months." He watched closely, to see if she caught on.

She did.

"His kids' names?"

Edward nodded. "I'm not saying I would. Just that, if I was to get another, it would be for a reason like that."

"I see." Bella looked thoughtful. She took a strawberry from the punnet and popped it into her mouth. Edward drew a circle in the sand. "So, you'd like kids?" Bella said.

He sighed, concerned that this might border on _too much, too soon._

"I'd like a family of my own," he said. "One day. Whether that's just two people..." He flashed her a quick smile. "Or three or four."

Bella slipped her hand in his. "Three or four sounds good," she said. "One day." For a moment Edward couldn't speak, his heart suddenly too big for his chest. Instead he kissed her temple, and squeezed her hand.

Then he swallowed past the lump in his throat.

"Sounds good," he echoed roughly.

She rested her head on his shoulder and they laughed as a dog ran into the water and then shook itself over its dry owner.

Bella shifted closer to Edward and he wrapped his arm around her. He took a breath, and gave voice to a question that had been at the back of his mind.

"Bella, this morning, in bed...I didn't stop to ask..."

"I didn't want you to wear one," she said, getting his meaning straight away. "I know we didn't spell it out, but I thought we'd sort of worked that out last night when we talked."

He smiled. "I thought so too."

"And I'm on the pill, so..." She smiled and shrugged. "I guess these are the sorts of things you talk about before, not after, but...we were in the moment." A blush coloured her cheeks.

He smiled. "Very much, in the moment."

He ran his hand through her hair, massaging the back of her neck so she sighed and her head fell against him.

"I love you," he said and felt her melt into him.

"I love you too," she said.

They were quiet for a while, just watching the waves and the wayward dog as the sun reached the high point of the sky.

"We're going to Em and Rose's next weekend," Edward said. "But one day soon, I'd like to take you somewhere special, just for us. There's a place I've heard about up the coast, very secluded, very romantic..."

He looked down into her puzzled eyes.

"This is romantic here," she said, making a sweeping gesture at the ocean before them. "This morning at the lighthouse? Um, pretty special, and just for us. Your bed, in the morning sun..." She gave him an indulgent smile. "It's a lovely idea, but don't think you need to take me away. I don't need fancy places to make something romantic or special. I don't need _planning._ "

There was something behind her words, Edward could sense it. He cocked his head, studying her.

"I get the feeling someone has planned for you before."

"Yeah, sort of. Actually, very planned."

Edward thought he understood.

"The first time?" he asked and Bella nodded.

"It was a weekend in New York Alexander had organised. Dinner at a French restaurant, a carriage ride through Central Park, and a room at The Plaza with champagne."

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Really? That's…impressive." There was a faint tightening of his jaw. "It sounds like the perfect romantic weekend."

"It was. All the boxes were ticked. Every single one, but..."

Edward waited, head cocked, jaw so tight now it would cut glass.

"But?" he prompted. If Alexander had hurt her Edward would hunt him down and...

"It just felt _too_ organised, like he was working from a list he'd found on google."

"Ah." Too organised. "A list?" Edward fought the smirk tugging at his lips.

"Yeah. It was lovely of him but..." She shook her head, smirking a little herself, Edward thought. "Afterwards, after such a beautifully arranged weekend, I was wondering if that was it and not just because it was, um, anticlimactic."

"I see."

Edward was jealous as he listened, but that didn't surprise him. What _did_ surprise him, was how faint and insignificant that jealousy felt. It was as if his mind was telling him how he should feel, but his heart wasn't really in it because, in the shadow of this morning's declarations and love making, there was no room for anything else.

He reached out, touching Bella's cheek and she turned her face to kiss his hand.

"There was no _soul,_ " she said. "I think that's what I'm trying to say. But it did still feel like I was moving forward, living my life, if that makes sense."

"It does." After he'd left her what else could she do.

"I prefer spontaneity. I'd rather be, er, _in the moment_." She winked and Edward winked back.

He poured them each another glass of juice and handed Bella hers.

"So, what was it like for you," she asked tentatively. "That first time. With Fiona?"

"Fast," he said, and drank from his glass as Bella nearly spat hers.

"Oh…" She bit her lip hard, holding back a giggle, it seemed. Edward sighed and shrugged. "It's okay, you can laugh."

"I'm not..." but the faintest of giggles escaped her. "It's just the way you said it."

"It's very normal," he smirked.

"I know."

"And then afterwards...I came home and got drunk."

Bella's eyebrows shot up. "Was it that bad?"

"No! I didn't mean… it was more about…" He paused, and set down his glass on the rug. "I'd held onto the possibility of you for so long that, even though I'd already decided I had to let go, this was taking the final, furthest step away from you that I could take. There was physical distance already, but this was emotional distance. With Fiona, I had absolutely committed myself to a life without you." He sighed heavily and pulled a hand through his hair, studying her closely, gauging her reaction. She seemed to understand, because she took his hand in hers, stroking his palm tenderly with her thumb.

"I'd become good at not thinking about you," he said quietly. "I couldn't _let myself_ think about you if I was going to have any sort of future. The weekend away had been good, we'd been camping, but when I got home, and I was alone, it hit me then."

Bella nodded, keeping careful hold of his hand, letting him see the love and understanding in her eyes.

How the fuck did he get so lucky?

Would it always be this way?

"I think," she said. "For me it was like a new door opening, but for you it was like an old door closing."

"Yes," he whispered, nodding, realising that's exactly what it was like.

"But the important thing, is now," Bella said.

She kissed him then, pressing her body against his, running her fingers through his hair and Edward felt like he was on fire. His foot kicked over the juice bottle. The dog came up and licked at him and Edward swore and jerked and the dog's owner had to call the dog away and Bella was laughing so much she could barely speak.

Edward was grinning down at her. She really was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

He leant down, kissing over her neck.

"Lets go up to the house," he growled against her skin. "Because right now, I'm _really_ in the moment."

-o0o-

 **A/N: Just a little interlude before they head off to Rose and Emmett's. Hope you enjoyed : )**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews for the last chapter. Your kind words and lovely comments make me smile and are very much appreciated. So many of you have embraced this new, different, Edward and I'm so glad. He really is pretty sweet once you get to know him : )**

 **Unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if I've missed something : )**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Sorry this took so long. We left Edward and Bella in a blissful state after a weekend of love-making, and now they're off to the Gold Coast to see Emmett and Rosalie, Hannah and Max. Let's see what happens...**

 **-o0o-**

It was Friday afternoon and Sydney airport was crowded. Half the city was going somewhere for the weekend it seemed.

We'd been running late, both of us caught up at work longer than planned, and we'd practically run through the terminal, holding hands and towing luggage as we'd dodged our way through the crowd until we'd made it to gate 54 and our flight to the Gold Coast. Just as a tannoy announcement declared our flight delayed by ten minutes.

All the seats in the waiting area were taken, so Edward sagged against the wall, I sagged against Edward, and we smiled at each other as we caught our breath. He curled his arms round my waist, my back to his chest.

"Well that's lucky," he said.

I opened my mouth to agree, but yawned instead.

Edward chuckled as he rested his chin on my shoulder. "Keeping you up? Or has the run through the airport tired you out?"

"Mm, well, you did keep me up last night," I murmured quietly. "And the night before that. And the night before that."

He laughed again, deeper this time. Darker. I could feel the rumble of his chest, then the brush of his lips on my cheek.

"You didn't seem to mind."

Tired as I felt, a tingly warmth still ran through me.

It had been an amazing week. Amazing and...interesting.

The weekend had been idyllic, with the beach at the door it had felt like a romantic vacation and we'd only left Edward's bed to go swimming or walking on the sand. We didn't actually go anywhere until Sunday afternoon when we finally collected my things from Rachel's and met Steve, the helpful and clearly smitten guy over the road. I didn't think Rachel was too disappointed to see me move out, and the friendly way she'd greeted Edward had made me smile.

Then Monday had come and it was time for routine and real-life.

Edward sets his alarm for 5.30am.

I like to hit the snooze button until I roll out of bed around 7.00.

He starts the day with a run, then sends emails while he eats breakfast on the deck.

I rush around, bumping into things while I grab a coffee in a travel mug to drink on my way.

On Wednesday he suggested I get up earlier. I suggested he keep his ideas to himself. Smart man that he is, it wasn't mentioned again.

But there were other things I'd learned, too.

He always wore his glasses to watch television, or read, or when he was on the computer. I thought he looked sexy in them, especially when he fell asleep with them sliding down his nose.

He sang in the shower.

He sighed and smiled in his sleep.

He'd use the kitchen island like a home office, its surface strewn with papers and laptop so it was hard to use for anything else. It drove me quietly mad. But I kind of drove him crazy by leaving my shoes scattered on the bedroom floor. Twice he'd banged his knee against the dresser after stumbling over them in the dark. Each time I'd been treated to some colourful mutterings.

It had almost seemed that the normal period of 'best behaviour', so common in the first weeks of a relationship, had been waived.

Yep, it had been an interesting week.

As I tried to swallow another yawn, I looked up at Edward.

"What are the sleeping arrangements at the McCarty's?"

"We're sharing the guest suite, if that's alright with you."

"Mm, I could probably put up with that."

I was looking forward to seeing Emmett again, but if I was honest, the thought of seeing Rosalie made me a little tense. She'd never accepted me like the other Cullens had and I wondered if she would still feel the same now. I hoped not.

And what about Hannah and Max? I'd had very little to do with children. What if they didn't like me?

My thoughts were interrupted when a ripple of excitement ran through the crowd; a collection of gasps and giggles. Across the concourse at gate 52, a flight had arrived and a guy with flowers in one hand and a ring box in the other got down on one knee in front of a girl who'd just walked through the gate.

"Oh my gosh!" It seemed I'd become one of the excited crowd. "I didn't think people really did this sort of thing."

"Public proposal?"

I nodded.

The guy on one knee was speaking but I couldn't hear the words. The object of his affections was clearly shocked, hand to her mouth, eyes brimming with tears. Someone shouted "Say yes!" There was laughter, then a collective holding of breath as we all waited for an answer and the face of the groom-to-be was a vivid mix of fear and anticipation. Then the girl nodded furiously, the crowd cheered and applauded, and the guy was on his feet, kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

I exhaled, almost as relieved as he was, I thought.

"So risky," I muttered.

"Risky?" Edward's voice was curious. "I thought most people would use the other R word."

I looked at him, puzzled.

"Romantic," he explained, smiling.

"Oh. No, not romantic. At all. I would never want..." I shook my head. "I guess everyone's different, but I think proposals should just be between two people. Not a crowd of strangers."

I felt Edward's kiss on the crown of my head.

"Noted," he whispered.

-0-

The flight was smooth. The sun was just beginning to disappear as we walked down the steps from the plane, and across the tarmac to the terminal. There were lush mountains behind us, and ahead of us the beach less than a mile away. The air was humid and heavy, almost tropical feeling, and I loved it.

We'd travelled light, no need to join the crowd at the baggage carousel, and I was glad for that as we made our way to the desk of the hire car company. I was tired, and wanted to just be on our way. But I found myself suddenly wide awake a few minutes later, as we arrived at our car.

He'd hired a yellow porsche. A convertible.

"Seriously?" My mouth swung open as a grinning Edward held the door open for me.

"Completely serious," he said.

I tried to slide smoothly into the leather seat, but the car was so low it was more of a clumsy drop.

"Why did you hire a porsche?"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "It'll be fun. Do you object?"

"I...no...but it must have cost..." But as my initial shock began to slightly fade, and I took in the luxury around me, I found that I was grinning too. "I've never been in a porsche."

"Then allow me to demonstrate," he said, revving the engine.

It was fast. And smooth. And not as glamorous as it looks in the movies. My hair whipped around my face, stinging my cheeks, and it wasn't easy to talk over the sound of the engine and the other cars around us. But it was still incredible and the smile on my face was so wide, my cheeks hurt. As we drove along winding roads edged and overhung with green, it reminded me a little of riding a motorbike; that feeling of being a part of the world, instead of a spectator watching from behind glass.

I squeezed Edward's hand as he moved through the gears. "This is fantastic!"

"I know!" He squeezed back, then lifted my hand to his lips.

Rosalie and Emmett lived about forty five minutes away, on five acres in the Hinterland. The sun was gone and the purple and gold of the early evening sky was a stunning backdrop for their home.

The house was a traditional Queenslander, built up high on stilts with a wrap-around verandah and as Edward turned off the engine, the front door was flung open, almost bursting off its hinges, and two children came racing down the front steps.

"Nedwood!"

We climbed out of the car, Edward got down onto his knees, arms outstretched, as Hannah and Max launched themselves at him. He hugged them hard, laughing as they talked a mile-a-minute, until the three of them tumbled backwards onto the grass.

"Hey!" Emmett had appeared on the verandah, grinning hugely. "Go easy on him you two! Hey Bella, welcome! Is that a porsche? No way!" He was followed by Rosalie, pregnant and beaming. Emmett took her hand, and together they came down the steps.

He got to his feet with the smallest of stumbles as he swung Max onto his back while he held Hannah's hand. With his arms occupied he leant into Rosalie's warm hug, kissing her cheek, and then dodged Emmett's brotherly shoulder-punch. The children were still talking, both of them at once, their excited voices rising as each tried to drown out the other while Rosalie told them to calm down and give their Uncle a chance to catch his breath. But they didn't listen and Edward was grinning as he responded to them in turn, switching easily from dinosaur talk with Max to birthday chatter with Hannah, and back again.

Here, right now, Edward was new to me again; another side of him revealed. One I could never have imagined. One that I liked very much.

My heart swelled as I watched the scene before me and I realised I'd never seen Edward _belong_ anywhere as much as he did right now.

"Gold candles on your cake? Really? I've never seen _gold_ candles before. Are they real gold?" He smiled down at his niece while she giggled and told him he was silly. Then he twisted his head, looking at his nephew over his shoulder. "Are you _sure_ it was a brontosaurus egg you found in the chook house? You are? Wow! Can I eat it with my bacon in the morning?"

The question was met with a squeal of laughter and another declaration that Uncle Nedwood was, indeed, silly. Then Edward turned back to Hannah, who was tugging on his hand, asking if he'd brought the frog hat with him.

"Of course," he said. "I don't go anywhere without it."

The frog hat? I'd have to ask him about that later.

"How's it going, Bella?" Emmett was suddenly by my side. "Good flight? He pulled me into a rib-breaking hug so I could barely gasp out that I was fine and the flight was good. Then he pulled back. "You remember Rosie?"

I'd been so distracted by Edward, that I'd forgotten how nervous I was to meet Rosalie again. My stomach tightened now as she gave up on her kids and came to join Emmett and me.

She was still strikingly beautiful, but not in the way I remembered. Her beauty was softer now, a glow from within, and I thought that glow probably came from the contentment I saw in her deep blue eyes and her smile. A deep serenity that belied an obvious tiredness.

"Of course she remembers. How are you, Bella? It's good to see you again."

She reached out and took my hand, squeezing gently as she smiled. It was an easy smile, warm, and I felt some of my nervouseness slip away.

"You too," I said. "Thanks for inviting me."

"You're very welcome."

Her nails were short and unpainted, there was a band aid on her thumb, and I thought perhaps her hands were swollen because there was a deep ridge on the finger where her wedding ring should be. I remembered Jake's wife, Beth, had had to take her ring off too, when she was pregnant.

"And congratulations." I gestured to her belly.

"Number three." She smiled again and rubbed a hand over the swell. "I've always planned for four but right now I'm thinking this might be it." Then she turned towards the other side of the driveway, where Edward was still in conversation with Hannah and Max.

"What's with the car?" Emmett asked me, while he gazed covetously at the yellow sports car.

"He's just showing off for Bella," Rosalie smirked, then turned back to me. "I bet you never thought you'd see him like this." She nodded towards Edward and the children.

"Er, no. Can't say I have."

She nodded. "He's great with them," she said. "I'd never have expected it. Turns out he's just a big kid, himself."

Emmett chuckled. "Immature, you mean."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't be talking about immaturity if I was you." She gave her husband a pointed look. "The beaters looked awfully clean when I put them in the dishwasher, earlier."

"Hey..." Emmett's face was all innocence. "The kids could have licked the beaters if they'd got there first."

"They _would_ have got there first if you hadn't sent them to go and get the mail."

"It's important for kids to have chores. How did you know, anyway?"

Rosalie reached out and gently rubbed some chocolate from her husband's left eyebrow.

"Oh," he said, smiling sheepishly. "I was saving it for later." Then he shrugged. "So, did you also know I gave them the bowl to lick when they came back in?"

Rosalie's face softened. "Yeah." She sighed and gently touched his cheek. "I know. And somehow they managed to keep _their_ eyebrows chocolate free."

Emmett laughed, a warm hearty sound, and hugged his wife, and then our attention was back with Edward as he called for some sort of order.

"Hey, hey, listen! I want you two to meet someone special." He came over to where I was standing, a broad, beaming, smile on his face. Max still clung to his back, Hannah still held his hand. The two children studied me curiously and my nerves were back again. What should I say? Should I bend down to Hannah's height?

"This is my friend, Bella," Edward said and gave me a wink. "She's feeling a bit shy," he added in a stage whisper. "Can you say hello and make her feel welcome?"

Hannah giggled. She was obviously shy too because she'd hidden herself behind Edward's leg, but at his words she peeked out and smiled.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi. Er, you must be Hannah. Happy birthday."

She giggled again. "My birthday's tomorrow."

"Oh. Well, now I get to wish you happy birthday again tomorrow."

"I'm Max!" The chubby little boy waved a hand and his cheeky grin was just like his father's.

"Hello Max."

"I'm four." He held up the correct amount of fingers. "I have a bontosors egg."

A smile tugged at my lips. "A brontosaurus egg? Wow."

He nodded earnestly. "You can't eat it, but."

"No, of course not."

Edward shifted his weight, hoisting Max a little higher, and Rosalie stepped forward.

"Come on," she said in that brisk tone that mother's use when they mean business. "Lets take Bella inside. And Max you can walk. You're getting heavy for Uncle Edward."

"He's fine," Edward said. "Come on Max, lets race Hannah!"

Hannah gave a delighted squeal and took off towards the house, her little legs pumping hard. Edward waited a moment then jogged after her with a laughing Max clinging to him.

Rosalie sighed. "Hopefully he'll tire them out and they'll fall asleep over dinner."

Emmett chuckled and turned to me. "That's usually the way it goes when Uncle Nedwood's around," he said. "And just so you know, it's not really a brontosaurus egg. Just an extra big hens egg."

"I'm sure she worked that out, Emmett." Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Come on, Bella. Let me show you around."

-0-

Their house was lovely. Large rooms that flowed easily into each other, high ceilings, lots of windows, light, and space. The colour scheme was classic neutrals, the furniture expensive, but it was all just an elegant backdrop for the mess and chaos of a clearly happy family life.

The living room floor was scattered with toys, the squashy sofa was home to an enormous stuffed penguin. The coffee table was spread with paper and crayons. The walls were hung with framed finger paintings and family photos.

On the timber floor was a large rug, scattered with brightly coloured cushions and story books and a sprinkling of Lego.

"The place is a mess," Rosalie sighed as I looked around.

"No, it's great," I said, smiling widely.

I'd kind of been expecting everything to be pristine and perfect. Like something out of a home décor or parenting magazine, with toys colour co-ordinated and neatly stacked on custom designed wall shelves, or maybe shut away out of sight in an antique toy chest. What I was looking at was so _real_ , and so _warm._

What I was looking at was _home._

"I think kids should be allowed to be kids," Rosalie said. "So that means playing and mess. But Max and Hannah know they have to pack everything away at bedtime each night. And tidy up a bit if company's coming. That's the rule."

"But you and Edward are family," Emmett said. "So you don't count as company and no-one tidies up for you. Sorry."

This little clarification brought a grin to my face, and my heart swelled once more. I was family.

"No, that's fine," I said. "I don't want to be tidied up for."

"Would you like to see your room?" Rosalie asked. "You probably want to have a rest before dinner, and if our children will just release Edward..."

She looked towards the open plan kitchen and I followed her gaze. Max and Hannah were kneeling on stools at the island, Edward standing between them. He was being shown a birthday cake, and I could hear the oohs and aahs of admiration from all three of them, and then a shriek from Hannah as Edward pretended to take a bite.

"Do I have to wait for tomorrow?" he asked innocently.

"Yes." Hannah was nodding vehemently. "I have to, and so do you."

Edward chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"Fair enough then," he said. "Can I show Bella?"

Hannah nodded and the three of them looked over their shoulders to the living room. Edward smiled and held out his hand to me.

"Come and see?" he said.

"S'a dragon!" Max exclaimed as I joined them.

It was indeed a dragon. Bright purple with orange wings, it was curled up and sleeping on top of a castle. The detail was incredible, right down to the scales on the dragon's body and the pattern of stone on the castle walls.

"Wow," I said, eyes wide and genuinely impressed. "That's amazing."

"It's chocolate inside," Hannah explained, her face bright with excitement. "And there'll be gold candles. It's for my party tomorrow."

"Really? That's going to look great with gold candles. Was this all your idea?" I asked.

She nodded. "And Mummy. I drew a picture and Mummy made it a cake. I picked the colours."

"Well, you and Mommy have done a great job."

I could feel Edward's eyes on me and when I glanced up he smiled at me over Hannah's blond head. I felt my cheeks flush as I smiled back.

"I wanted her to fly," Hannah was saying and I focused back on her quickly.

"Oh? A flying dragon?"

"But Mummy said it would work better if she was sleeping, 'cause if she was flying she might fall."

"Your Mommy's probably right."

"And it's probably time to put the cake back in the container," Edward said. "Before I eat it all while you're not looking."

Hannah gave him a warning stare that looked so much like Rosalie I almost laughed. Edward pretended to look contrite as he carefully replaced the domed plastic cover over the cake. "And I think it's also time for Bella and me to find our room and unpack," he said. He helped Max clamber off his stool, while Hannah climbed down herself.

Rosalie came forward, said it was bath time, and sent the kids to get ready with Emmett supervising.

"Nice cake, Rose," Edward said.

"Nice?" I arched a brow at him. "It's amazing. How long did that take you?"

"A while," Rosalie admitted. "I could _not_ work out how to make it look like it was flying. Every time I tried it just collapsed. So we settled for sleeping. And speaking of sleeping..." She gestured to the hallway. "Emmett's brought in your bags. Dinner's in half an hour. You know your way, of course?"

"I do," Edward said and took me by the hand.

-0-

The guest room was huge and comfortable with enough space for a sofa as well as the bed. French doors opened out onto the verandah and framed a view over the garden. The doors stood open now, letting in the early evening light.

"This is beautiful."

"It's pretty good," Edward said. He came up behind me, slipping his arms round my waist. "Just so you know, the rest of the bedrooms are away on the opposite side of the house."

"Ah..."

"Mm..."

He nuzzled my neck, making me sigh.

"Hannah and Max are great," I said.

"They're okay."

"Only okay? You adore them. And you're so good with them."

"You were good with them too. And Rose wasn't too scary?" He'd known I was nervous about meeting her again.

"No. She seems lovely."

"She's happy," Edward said. "Emmett too."

"The kids accents are surprising, though. They both sound more Australian than American."

"Because all their friends at school and pre-school are Australian. Kids pick up accents and language pretty quickly."

A breeze blew in and ruffled the gauzy curtains.

"Is this always where you sleep?"

"Uh huh."

He gently moved my hair aside and then I felt his lips on my neck. I sighed again and sagged against him.

"Long day," he whispered against my skin.

"Very long."

He kissed along my shoulder, nudging my shirt aside with his nose as he went. "Ready to fall into bed soon?"

"You suggesting an early night, Edward?"

"I am."

His phone was in his hip pocket and it vibrated against me. I giggled again and Edward groaned.

"Do you have to answer?" I asked.

"I'm waiting on an email from work. We're waiting on approval for the bridge in Tasmania before we can schedule a start date." He pulled back and checked his message. "Oh..."

"No start date?" I asked.

He sat down on the bed, staring at the screen.

"It's not work, but it is another email I've been expecting." He glanced up. "It's from a mate of mine, Paul, at the museum."

He was frowning now as he focused back on his phone.

"Bad news?" Had something happened to his magnificent ceiling?

"No. Just...interesting." He typed a quick response then slipped the phone away. "Paul's a managing curator and I got to know him pretty well during the construction process. Well enough that I could ask a couple of vague questions about Marion Tinsley without it seeming odd."

The mention of the quirky curator had me instantly curious. And wary.

"You're worried about her?" I rubbed at the scar on my wrist.

"No," Edward said. "Just making enquiries. I told Paul that I'd heard she was an expert on Nordic history and I was after contact details for a friend doing PhD research into Viking culture."

I blinked at him.

"Am I meant to be that friend?"

"Could be anyone," he said. "It was just a plausible excuse to get information."

"And?"

"She's left the museum, which we knew. He doesn't know where she's gone but he did say her specialty wasn't Vikings, which we also knew, because she told you that. But what we _didn't_ know, was that her interest and expertise originally lay in the area of eastern European history, and particularly Slavic legends, though she prefers general curator work these days and doesn't specialise anymore."

My eyes were wide, wondering at the detail.

"How did you get all that from a simple request for contact details?"

"Because in my question, I also included unnecessary information I _knew_ was wrong."

"About her being a Viking expert?"

"Yes. And humans are usually very ready and willing to correct someone who's wrong, and with as much of the right information as they can muster."

Ah, I thought I could see it now.

"So you weren't expecting Paul to just reply with ' _sorry, don't know how to contact her'_ and leave it at that?"

"It was unlikely. I was fairly certain he'd also want to tell me my information was wrong, and then give me the right information, if he had it. Which he did."

My mouth swung open a little.

"You don't really need the mind reading, do you?"

He chuckled. "Lots of years studying humans, that's all." he said.

"So, is that a problem that she might have been into eastern European history and Slavic legends?"

"It's interesting. It might explain her reaction to your scar." He frowned softly. "I'd say she has some knowledge of the existence of my kind."

"Your kind?"

He smirked and shook himself. "Old habits," he murmured.

I sat on the bed beside him. "Do you think I scared her away?"

"Maybe."

The outline of his phone was visible in his pocket.

"What did you say to Paul?"

"I just thanked him, said I must have got my wires crossed somewhere along the line. It would look strange if I took it any further than that. But I'm intrigued now."

"Intrigued? Or concerned?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't say concerned. If she's been scared off by a human with a scar I'd say she doesn't want anything to do with vampires. And that's even if she even knew what your scar was. But I'll do some more checks anyway. Just to be sure."

He shifted closer, and resumed his attention to my neck, kissing along my jaw.

"Will you tell Rosalie and Emmett?" I asked as my eyes fluttered closed.

"Yes."

"But it's nothing to worry about?"

"If it was, I wouldn't be doing this." His tongue swirled over my throat, making me gasp as he pulled me into his lap.

I snaked my hand beneath his shirt, running my fingers over the smooth planes of his stomach and feeling the twitch of hard muscle beneath.

And that wasn't the only hard muscle I could feel.

"We should stop," I murmured as he kissed over the arch of my throat.

"I know."

"It's not long till dinner."

"Mm hm, I know that too. This is just the warm up, because after dinner and polite conversation, I'm going to bring you back here..."

"Oh yes?"

"Press you up against the wall..."

"Uh huh..."

"Kiss you while I unbutton your shirt..."

"Mm..."

"Then slide my hand inside your..."

There was the sound of footsteps running past, and an excited squeal, and Edward froze. The footsteps came back. There were giggles outside our door. Then I moved my hand away from Edward's chest and he pulled back from my neck. We sat perfectly still, and when I realised I was actually holding my breath, I started giggling too.

"I feel like a teenager about to get caught."

There was a soft tap on the door.

Smiling, Edward put his finger to his lips. "Ssh," he whispered.

There was another tap, then, "Uncle Nedwood?" The little voice was so sweet, so hopeful.

"You have to answer," I said.

"I know." Edward sighed, kissed me sweetly on the forehead, and shifted me off his lap.

He opened the door and Max stood there, holding out a papier mache model. It was bright blue, and at first I thought it might have been a horse, or possibly a giraffe, but then I realised, given our brief conversation earlier, that it was actually a dinosaur.

"'S'for you," he said to Edward. "'S'a di'saur." He was almost bursting with excitment at handing over his precious gift and Edward took it from him reverently.

"For me? Really?"

Max nodded proudly.

"Thank you very much. This will look great on my shelves by the TV. You remember the big TV in my living room?"

Max nodded again.

"Then I'll see him every time I sit down to watch cartoons after work."

Max giggled and Edward smiled. "Come in and tell me about him?"

Max didn't have to be asked twice. He practically bounced into the room and gave me a cheery wave as he climbed onto the sofa. I smiled and waved back as Edward sat next to him.

"Did you make this all yourself?" Edward turned the dinosaur around, studying it closely, holding it with great care.

Max nodded. "From a picture. Daddy helped." He pointed to the neck. "'S'got wires inside. Daddy did that. I stuck the paper on. And the paint."

"Well, you did a very good job. He's a great colour."

Max gave a cheeky grin, but then a soft frown creased his forehead. "Tom says di'saurs can't be blue. I know, but I like him to be blue."

"Blue's my favourite colour," Edward said softly. "Is Tom your friend from pre-school?"

Max nodded. "He says I has to make him grey."

"No, you don't. Not if you don't want to." And Max's smile was back in place. "What type of dinosaur is he?"

"Vossyrapta."

"A velociraptor? I thought so. You know, I think velociraptors are my favourite type of dinosaur. Was it hard to make him?"

"The paper got sticky wif glue. I got it in my hair." He tugged on a lock by his ear. "But we got it out wif special shampoo."

"That's good," Edward said. "It's not fun having glue in your hair is it?"

"No."

"Because then your hat would stick on your head and never come off!" He mimed a frantic one-handed struggle to remove an invisible hat, and had Max giggling so hard the little boy could barely sit up. Then Edward made a loud _pop!_ sound, flung his arm from his head, and the hat had obviously come free.

"Silly," Max said.

"I know," Edward grinned.

My heart felt too big for my chest. Watching Edward like this was like uncovering treasure, and if I had thought it impossible to love him more than I already did, then I'd been wrong.

Edward really was such a wonderful surprise.

Back on the sofa, the laughs had quietened down, and they'd returned to the serious topic of dinosaurs.

"Does he have a name?" Edward asked.

Max shook his head.

"Should we name him, then? What should we call him?"

Max shrugged and Edward considered. "Mm, how about Max?"

The little boy burst into fresh giggles. "Can't. Tha's my name!"

"Oh, of course. Then, how about...Edward!"

"No! Tha's your name!"

"Oh, that's right, I forgot."

"You can't f'get your name!" Max declared.

"I can't?" Edward was all mock-surprise.

"No!"

"Okay, I'll make sure to remember that," he said earnestly and Max nodded approvingly.

Edward stroked a gentle finger over the long neck of the dinosaur. "I know! How about we call him...Victor. Victor the Velociraptor. Because he looks like he's strong and smart, with a good heart, just like you, and that means he'll always be _victorious_. Do you know what victorious means?"

Max shook his head.

"It means not letting the other dinosaurs make you feel bad because you're blue." Max's face lit up. Edward kissed the top of his head and I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat.

"Shall we ask Bella what she thinks?" Edward said.

The two of them looked at me, faces full of anticipation.

"It's a great name," I whispered. "It's perfect."

And I realised then that I really _could_ love Edward Masen, _even more_.

-0-

 **The response to the last chapter was amazing, thank you all so much. I'm glad you enjoyed that little look into Edward's point of view : )**

 **I've been nominated for the 2016 TwiFic Fandom Awards! This has totally blown me away. Huge THANK YOU to those who nominated xx**

 **This chapter is un-beta'd so if you see any errors I might have missed, please let me know.**

 **Some readers have asked me questions in reviews, but they've reviewed as Guest, which means I'm not able to reply. Please don't think I'm ignoring you : ) But if you have a question, please sign in as yourself so I can answer you :)**

 **I received a Guest review recently which asked two questions. Because I couldn't reply to the review, I'll answer them here:**

 **1: If Bella had not found Edward would he even have considered seeking her out? Or is she the only reason they are back together again, because she found him?**

At this stage of his life, Edward would not have considered seeking out Bella. He considered himself too much of a risk because of Alice's vision and he also believed she had moved on and found a happy life elsewhere with someone else. And at the back of his mind was the fear that he wasn't good enough for her without his 'super powers' and dazzling good looks. He truly believed she was better off without him. BUT...as time went on I'm pretty sure his resolve might have wavered and he would have caved in the future and looked for her : )

 **2: Did Edward think about Bella and miss her throughout their separation? Or did he forget about her and put her aside in the recesses of his mind until he met her again?**

He never forgot and he always missed her. But he said a couple of times in previous chapters that he had trained himself not to think about her, otherwise he wouldn't be able to move on and make a life for himself. He has said she did come to him in dreams, though.

-0-

 **Thanks again, everyone, for all the support you've given this story. I know I've said it before, but it really does mean a lot to me, and I'd like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas (in case I don't post again before), and a fabulous New Year MWAH! xx**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Catch up:**

 **Last time we left Bella and Edward at Rose and Emmett's, with preparations for Hannah's birthday party and Max showing off his latest dinosaur model.**

 **Edward had received an email confirming that Marion Tinsley, the museum curator, had left her job but no-one knew where she went, and that she'd previously specialised in European and Slavic history.**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

Emmett was barbecuing on the deck. Edward was in the living room, building lego with Max and Hannah. And Rosalie and I were sitting across from each other at the kitchen island, making salads.

It was a scene of perfect domestic bliss, a slice of idyllic family life – but I was tense. As warm and friendly as Rosalie had been, I realised, now that I was alone with her, that a small part of me was on alert, anticipating the return of past disapproval.

I sifted slightly on my stool.

"Does Emmett cook much?" I asked.

"He tries." Rosalie smiled an affectionate smile as she sliced a cucumber. "He actually cooks a lot of nights so I can rest, but his repertoire is limited – scrambled eggs, spaghetti, barbeque." She looked towards the glass doors that led onto the deck. She smiled again. "He tries."

I chopped some tomato and tossed it into the bowl before reaching for another.

"He seems to be enjoying himself out there," I said, watching as he sang and turned the sausages and steaks.

"Emmett always enjoys himself," Rosalie said. "He always finds the joy. It's one of the things I love about him." She went back to slicing the cucumber. "So...you're back again, Bella?"

There it was. The disapproval. It was clear, if not in her voice, then in her choice of words.

I looked up sharply.

"Yes. I'm back." My answer was blunt and firm, leaving no room for discussion.

Shock crossed Rosalie's face, disarming me slightly and making me wonder exactly what she saw on mine.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "Really, I'm sorry. That came out wrong and very badly." She put down her knife. "I'm _glad_ you're back. For Edward, _and_ for you. I truly am."

Her eyes shone with warmth and honesty, and now I was _completely_ disarmed.

"Oh...um..."

"You were expecting the opposite." She smiled and reached for my hand, taking it gently in hers.

"I know you were nervous about coming here. It was obvious as soon as I saw you."

I bristled slightly. I thought my adult years had brought some level of subtlety, some mastery of my feelings, but apparently not.

"Am I that transparent?"

"You always have been." She smiled, and sighed, letting go of my hand. "Look Bella, the truth is, back in Forks if I was less than friendly it was because I envied you."

"Envied me?"

She nodded. "I did. You had all the potential I would have given anything to have, and I hated that you were so willing to give it all up."

"Oh."

The picture was becoming clearer now, bringing a whole new understanding of the past and Rosalie's dark looks and snarky comments. It was like seeing night become day. I wasn't sure how to respond, although I didn't get the chance because Rosalie kept talking.

"It was more than that, though," she said. "We were all trying so hard to seem human to the rest of the world, and I hated the thought of a real human knowing the truth. It just emphasised the fact that my life was a facade. That I wasn't who I so wanted to be." She sat back and sighed, rubbing her belly. "And then there was also the concern that, by getting involved with you, Edward was putting the family at risk of exposure. I didn't want to have to pack up and move again when I'd just got comfortable. So you can see, there were lots of issues, and they were all mine. Not yours. If I ever made you feel uncomfortable, and I know I did, I'm very sorry."

Rosalie had always been a straight talker, and that obviously hadn't changed. But her summary of her feelings, and her apology, had still surprised me. It was becoming clearer to me that there had been so much more undercurrent in my first relationship with Edward than I'd been unaware of. I wondered just how much trouble my appearance had really created behind the scenes.

"Um, thank you." I cleared my throat. "I appreciate that. And you're right, you weren't exactly welcoming back then, but now I can understand why."

She nodded, as if that was all sorted then.

"Good," she said. "I'm glad." And she reached for the cheese grater. "Parmesan? Or cheddar?"

"Er, parmesan."

I went back to the tomatoes. Rosalie grated some cheese. There was silence, but the mood wasn't tense. It was more like the air had been cleared and I relaxed again. Really relaxed.

"So, tell me about your work," she said a moment later. "You're a marine biologist?"

We talked about my research, and that flowed into what I thought of Australia and did I like Edward's house by the beach.

"It's great," I said. "I love it there."

"It's beautiful, but not very practical," Rosalie said. "Cars rust in the salt air and it's impossible to get sand out of the carpet."

"He doesn't have carpet."

"Not anymore." She smirked. "That got ripped up after his first trip to the beach."

There was a squeal of laughter from the living room where Edward, Hannah, and Max were building a lego fort complete with bespoke landing pad for dragons and a dinosaur grazing pen. My smile stretched wide across my face as I watched them.

"So, Edward's told you everything about his change?" Rosalie asked.

"I think so." Reluctantly, I dragged my gaze away from the lego fun and back to the tomatoes. "I know what he's told me, anyway. About the hiker, and Alice's vision of me in the fire, and him coming to find me and what he found when he did. The depression."

Rosalie nodded. "They were bad times," she murmured. I was curious, but when she said nothing else, I didn't press her.

"And, ah, he told me about his girlfriends."

She smiled. "He told you about his girlfriends, huh? Good." She gave a nod of approval. "Fiona was nice, friendly. To be honest, I think you'd like her. I never met the other one, Jen I think it was. Elise answered the phone once when I called." Rosalie's tone hardened. "She's someone I'd like to meet in a dark alley one night."

I shifted uncomfortably on my stool again. "He told me she'd cheated."

"Mm..."

"Was...was he very hurt?"

Edward had been almost dismissive when he'd told me about Elise, but maybe that had been covering something deeper.

"Honestly?" Rosalie fixed me with a stare and I suddenly wondered if I did want to know. "Probably not as much as he should have been. I think it hurt his pride more than anything." She frowned. "Sorry, that makes him sound like a jerk. What I mean is, he was hurt, yes. Very hurt. I saw it. He came up here the weekend after it happened and he and Emmett went off quietly, fishing together. But did she break his heart? I don't think so." She popped another piece of cheese into her mouth, and her teeth snapped shut. "Even so, I'd still like to meet her some day."

I got the distinct feeling that, even as a human, a protective Rosalie was clearly not someone to mess with.

Emmett tapped on the glass door and held up his hand, fingers spread wide.

"Five minutes?" Rosalie mouthed and he nodded. She turned back to me. "We'd better hurry up and get this done," she said, smiling. "What sort of dressing would you like?"

"Um, Italian?"

She nodded.

"Rosalie, do you mind if I ask you something?" The talk of Edward's change had made me wonder something.

"Sure," she said, although there was a faint wariness in her expression.

"It's about when you were a vampire, about your change, if that's okay?"

She glanced down at her hands. "I expected you to have questions," she said, then lifted her gaze to mine. "And if you're going to be part of this family, there are things you have a right to know. So ask. It's fine."

I smiled, grateful.

"How did you and Emmett become human again? Was it like Edward with the hiker?"

There was a moment of hesitation and I wondered if maybe this was something she really didn't want to discuss. I was about to change the subject back to salad dressing, when she answered.

"No," she said. "It would have been almost impossible to find those exact set of circumstances again."

"Then...how?"

She looked at me like the answer was obvious.

"We used Edward's blood, of course."

"Oh."

I didn't know why that hadn't occurred to me, but I supposed it made sense. Then a soft frown creased Rosalie's brow.

"But it wasn't as straight forward as we thought it would be," she said. "He didn't tell you this?"

"No. Maybe he thought it wasn't his story to tell."

"Mm..."

She shook back her hair and squared her shoulders and while it was too dramatic to say it was like she was preparing for battle, that was how it seemed.

"Carlisle drew the blood from Edward's veins," she went on. "A lot of it. Emmett wanted to go first, in case something went wrong, but I insisted. It was my idea to change back, not his, so I wasn't going to let him risk himself. So, I bit my wrist and Carlisle injected the blood straight in, but nothing happened. Ooh!"

She winced and rubbed her belly. "That was a big kick," she said smiling. I smiled too.

"Do you know why it didn't work?"

"Lack of adrenalin. Sort of," she said, shifting on her seat. "When Edward was saving that hiker, he would have been in a sort of feeding frenzy, even though he wasn't actually _feeding._ But his venom would have been flowing fast. And the human's blood would have been pumped with adrenalin from fear. Carlisle thought that might have been the key, the blood and adrenalin mix, combined with the frenzy to push it round a vampire's dead veins. Just sitting in a chair in Carlisle's office, there was no magical transformation, nothing to push the human blood through my dead veins. So, we had to change tactics."

My stomach began knotting itself as I started putting two and two together.

"You hunted Edward?"

"Not exactly." She smiled. "Emmett, Carlisle and I went out hunting. Carlisle had a fresh vial of blood with him. While I was stalking, the venom was flowing, but instead of feeding on the deer I brought down, I bit into my arm. Higher up this time, closer to the heart." She touched her left bicep. "Carlisle was there with the blood, ready."

It was a chilling image.

"And that worked?"

"Yes. And then, after I'd come through it all safely, it was Emmett's turn."

She exhaled sharply, frowning, clearly reliving her own change, and her husband's.

"Um, can I ask, how did Edward get the adrenalin happening?"

Rosalie blinked, coming out of her thoughts, and then she smirked a little. "You should probably ask him that," she said, just as Emmett came through the door with a tray of steaks and sausages.

-0-

Dinner was fun, full of laughter and conversation, and bad Dad-jokes from Emmett. Edward's hand stayed constantly on my thigh beneath the table, gently rubbing. He merely smiled when Emmett teased him about eating one-handed and the whereabouts of his other hand.

"Are you coming for Christmas, Nedwood?" Hannah's face was lit up with anticipation and Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"How about we get through your birthday first, sweetheart?" she said. "One celebration at a time, and besides, Edward and Bella might make other plans for Christmas."

Hannah pouted a little and Edward gave her a smile.

"That's still six weeks away," he said. "We'll see."

"Are you going back home for Christmas, Bells?" Emmett looked up from his monstrous steak.

"No," I said. "I'm curious to have an Australian Christmas and anyway, I don't have the budget to fly home at the moment."

Of course, Edward responded to that immediately and, as if on instinct, reached for his pocket.

"That's not an issue, if you wanted to go..."

I shook my head, smiling as I rested my hand on his. "Put the credit card away, Edward. You know I want to be here." We'd already talked about Christmas, although briefly. He'd told me to expect heat and humidity, seafood and salad, but we hadn't actually discussed where we would be celebrating. "I'm looking forward to it." I stroked my thumb over his, letting my touch tell him, _I'm looking forward to spending it with you_.

He smiled and lifted my hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on my knuckles. Hannah giggled. Max made a face.

"Hey, people are eating," Emmett teased, and then flinched. "Ouch!" He shot Rosalie a look across the table. "How did your foot reach from there?"

"I'm a woman of many talents. Pass the water jug."

Instead, Emmett reached for Rosalie's glass and filled it for her. As he set the jug back down, he turned to Edward.

"You'll meet Charlie again sometime, how you gonna explain looking so different? And so old?" He chuckled to himself. "Guess you can always say you haven't aged well."

Edward narrowed his eyes at his brother. "People change as they get older," he said.

"True, but..." Suddenly he stopped, his gaze shifting subtly to his children. "Yeah, that'll work," he said simply and I realised there were some discussions that couldn't be had around the children. And that took my mind in a new direction; would Hannah and Max ever know the truth about their parents and uncle? I made a mental note to ask Edward later.

When dinner was over, and the children had had bedtime stories and were tucked in for the night, the adults sat in the living room, talking.

Rosalie's feet were in Emmett's lap and his large hands were giving the best massage I'd ever seen,

judging by the bliss on Rosalie's face.

Edward and I were curled up on the sofa opposite. I'd tucked myself into his side, my head in the crook of his shoulder, and every now and then I'd feel his lips against my hair. In the reflection of the windows, I could see the contentment on his face, the love in his smile, as he looked down at me. His arm was curled round me, holding me close.

We talked quietly about all sorts of different things; television shows, the weather, plans for tomorrow's party. And then Rosalie yawned, and so did the others, and that made me laugh.

"What?" Rosalie asked.

"Nothing," I said. "Just watching three ex-vampires yawning is pretty funny."

They all looked at me, surprise on their faces.

My words had come without forethought, or permission, and for a second I worried that I'd said something wrong. But then everyone laughed.

"I yawn a lot these days," Rose said, and stretched a little. "Bed for me soon, I think."

It reminded me of Edward, and his love of a good sleep, and that prompted me to ask his family the same question I'd asked him once.

"What's the best thing about being human?"

"Sleep," Edward said instantly and I gave him a look.

"I know that. It's become very obvious. I meant Rosalie and Emmett."

"Family," said Rosalie firmly, definitely. "A hug from your kids. Reading them bedtime stories. No contest."

Emmett feigned a hurt expression. "I thought you might have said life with me."

"Nope," she shook her head. "Sorry." But she was smiling, and nudged him gently with her foot. He tweaked her toe.

"Kids are pretty good," he said, and winked at her.

"What else, Emmett?" I asked.

He sighed and leant his head back.

"I think, you know that moment when you come home from a good day's work, and your body's tired and your boots are heavy and you sit down in your favourite chair and kick the boots off and wriggle your toes? Even if it's only for a few minutes before you put the garbage out or whatever? That moment of relief that you're home and your day's done and you can just _stop_..." He brought his head forward again. "That's the best thing."

"Oh!" Rosalie looked up brightly. "What about a warm bed on a cold night?"

"Yeah," Emmett agreed. "That too."

"Or..." Edward joined in. "A cold drink when you're really dry." He groaned, his head falling back on his shoulders. "That feeling when it first hits your tongue and the back of your throat." He closed his eyes as though savouring and I started wondering if a glass of water had something I didn't.

The three of them went on this way for a while, the list growing as they each thought of new favourite human things.

"The first cup of coffee in the morning."

"When the baby sleeps through the night."

"Mango ice cream."

"Dogs," said Edward quietly.

My heart tightened in my chest and I squeezed his hand. He smiled softly, looking down at our fingers.

"And also," he went on, "that feeling you get when you wake up thinking it's Monday, but it's only Sunday and you can sleep in." He sighed deeply. "That's a really good one. And now that leads me to say, good night." Her turned to me, the faintest of smirks on his lips. "Care to join me, Bella?"

-0-

Edward closed the door of our room as I dropped onto the bed.

"You don't look tired," I said, smiling at the spark in his eyes.

"I never said I was." He took a slow step towards me. "Are you tired?"

"Not really."

"Good."

"Why? Do you have plans for the rest of the evening?"

"I do." He pulled his shirt off over his head and dropped it on the floor. "Making love to you. Another of my favourite human things."

Slowly, I rubbed my legs together and rolled my hips, watching the desire spark even brighter in Edward's eyes. When I rolled over onto my stomach, the bed squeaked a little as I moved.

"Oh..."

I look at Edward over my shoulder. He knelt one knee on the mattress and the bed squeaked again. Louder. As he slowly climbed on the rest of the way, the headboard banged softly against the wall. He froze, and we giggled.

"We'll have to pull the bed into the middle of the room," he said.

"That won't stop the springs squeaking."

"True." He glanced over his shoulder to the bathroom, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Mm?" I smiled. "Like this morning? When you made love to me in the shower, pressed up hard against the tiles?"

"Oh, that wasn't making love," he said as he crawled over me, leaning down and pushing my hair aside to nip softly at the back of my neck. "That was _fucking_."

I groaned and turned onto my back, parting my legs for him. He quickly slid the jeans from my body and I was ready for more of what he'd given me this morning. He'd been relentless, powerful, leaving me so quivering and boneless that he'd had to carry me to the bed afterwards. We'd collapsed there, panting and breathless in each other's arms and he'd pressed tender kisses over my shoulder, whispering how he loved me between each one.

We'd both been very late for work this morning.

Now, I could see he was more than ready for more. He reached for his zipper, just as a small cry could be heard from another part of the house. I glanced towards the door.

"Are we likely to be interrupted?"

"No." Edward shook his head. "Max sometimes calls out in his sleep, that's all."

He pressed his lips to my throat, trailing kisses over my skin, moving lower, unbuttoning my shirt so he could kiss the swell of my breasts. I fisted my hands in his hair, moaning softly as I pushed at his jeans with my feet. He raised his hips a little, making it easier for me to rid him of the denim...and then Max cried out again.

"It's okay," Edward said, lifting his head and meeting my gaze as I stilled beneath him.

Someone, either Emmett or Rosalie, was moving about. Doors were opening and closing. Edward nudged the lace of my bra out of the way so he could catch my breast in his mouth, but for me, the mood was broken.

He realised pretty quickly, and sat up slowly.

"You okay?" he asked.  
I bit my lip while I listened to the noises on the other side of the house.

"I feel funny, doing this while there are other people, kids, close by."

Edward frowned softly, and nodded, tugging his hand through his hair.

"They won't hear us."

"But I can hear them."

"Everyone will be asleep soon."

A toilet flushed and Edward groaned a laugh. He flopped down on the bed beside me, and sighed.

"Okay," he said. "That is a bit of a mood killer."

"I'm sorry."  
He shook his head. "Don't," he said, voice serious now. "Don't ever be sorry for saying no."

My eyes travelled down his body, to where his jeans were bunched loose around his thighs.

"But I've left you, um, hanging."

He smirked. "It's alright," he said and got up off the bed. He kicked his jeans the rest of the way off until he was gloriously naked, then headed for the bathroom. "You can make it up to me when we get back home." He winked, and I watched through the door as he brushed his teeth. Then he came back in, climbed beneath the sheets, and reached for his phone and his glasses from the bedside table. The glasses sat perched on his nose as he studied the screen.

"Checking emails?"  
"Yep," he said.

"Better than a cold shower?"  
He chuckled softly. "Something like that. How were things with Rosalie tonight? There seemed to be some intense conversation there in the kitchen."

"Mm, she apologised for her behaviour back in Forks."

Edward looked at me over the top of his glasses, with his hair all mussed up, and it was one of the sexiest things I'd ever seen.

"Really?" he said, and a smile tugged at his lips. "I'm glad."

"And I asked how she and Emmett changed. You didn't tell me it was your blood they used."

He frowned softly. "I thought I dd."

"Nope. And also..."

There was more activity somewhere in the house, a gentle thud and the sound of Emmett softly swearing.

"Was that something about lego?"

"I think so," Edward smirked. "We must have missed a piece."

There were footsteps, a running tap, and that reminded me I needed the bathroom.

When I came back to the bedroom, wearing one of Edward's t-shirts for pj's, Edward had swapped his phone for his laptop.

"What are you doing now?" I asked, climbing under the sheets.

"Hacking the museum's intranet for Marion Tinsley's employee records."

My mouth dropped open. "Can you do that?"

His brow creased. "Well, I'm trying. I don't have Jasper's experience with this sort of thing, but I know some tricks."

I scooted closer to him, watching closely and not understanding I thing I saw.

"What are you looking for? An address?"

"A CV. That should tell me where she worked before the museum, and that might shed some more light."

"But you still believe there's nothing to it?"

He nodded. "I'm just curious, that's all."

"You'd tell me if you thought there was."

He looked up, his face open and honest. "I promise. I would tell you."

I smiled. "And you're working backwards?"

"I am, except they've got some heavy encryption there." He sighed and closed the laptop. "I'll try again tomorrow," he said, setting the laptop on the floor as I grabbed my own phone to check my emails.

"Anything interesting?" Edward shifted closer.

"Um, yeah. My flat, it's all fixed. I can move in on Wednesday. And there's a message from Beryl."

"Your neighbour?"

"Uh huh. She says, _Did you get the email about the block? We're getting the band back together!_ "

Edward grinned. "Did she mean to use a Blue's Brother's reference?"

"Probably. Beryl's pretty cool."

"Well," Edward tucked his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. "That's good news, I guess."

"Yeah," I murmured. "Good news. I guess. Wednesday." I chewed on my lip. "We knew it was coming."

He turned his head on the pillow and smiled at me.

"Whatever you want, Bella. Nothing would make me happier than to have you stay, but I know it might be too soon."

I nodded as I thought. "Your glasses are crooked now."

"I know. And you're changing the subject."

But he took them off and set them back on the bedside table.

I'd known of course, that the time would come when my flat was fixed. I just hadn't thought about it lately. But I thought about it now as I set my phone aside and turned off the lamp.

There was a full moon up, casting the room in a pearly, silvery, light.

It was probably too soon to formally, officially, move in with Edward and give up my own place. Maybe we could sort of live between the two for a while, and have time apart when we needed to?

"I'll get you a key," I said. "You can have full visiting rights."

I felt Edward's hand curl around mine and I rolled onto my side, facing him. He was smiling, the moonlight fell on his face, it's silvery glow reminding me gently of the days when his skin was pale, like porcelain.

"Or I could just come through your bedroom window," he said.

I grinned. "I'd love that." He lifted my hand and kissed my palm. "And I'll introduce you to Beryl."

"Not in your bedroom."

"No."

"That's just for me."

"Just for you. But I'll still get you a key."

He pulled me close and kissed me, and then nestled his head against my chest.

"We can go back and forth," I said.

"Weekends at the beach, week days in Balmain."

"Sounds good?"

"Sounds great."

I smiled and hugged him closer.

"Are you listening to my heart?"

"Mm hm. The most precious sound in the world." His voice was sleepy now, and I played with his hair, feeling it's silkiness between my fingers. His phone was on the bed beside him, ready to fall onto the floor, and I leant over, picking it up to set aside with his glasses.

"Mm, thank you," he murmured as he settled himself against me again.

"No probs." I kissed the top of his head. "Did you tell Rosalie and Emmett about Paul's email, and Marion?"

He yawned. "Told Emmett earlier. He agrees with me, it's nothing."

I twirled a lock of his auburn hair around my finger.

"And Rosalie?"

"Hm? Um, he'll tell her if he thinks it's necessary."

My finger stilled.

"If _he_ thinks? You don't think she has the right to know?"

"Not now," he mumbled. "Not when there's nothing to worry about."

"But...but that's not right."

The surge of indignation and outrage on Rosalie's behalf came swiftly and powerfully.

Edward lifted his head and looked at me with sleepy eyes.

"Why not?"

"Why not? Are you serious?"

Edward shook himself, and sat up. "I get the feeling something's wrong."

"Er, yes, something's wrong."

"I don't understand."

I couldn't believe he'd just said that. My outrage hit a new level.

"You don't think Rosalie shouldn't have the same information as you and me and Emmett? You think it's alright to let the husband decide how much his wife should know?"

Edward was frowning, pulling his hand through his hair.

"I see what you're saying, but it's not like that. And beside, there are circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

"Rose's health," he said. "In the past she's had high blood pressure with her pregnancies. It was bad with Hannah and she was hospitalised with Max because of it, and so far, this time, she's alright, everything's normal, and Emmett would like it to stay that way. No doubt Rosalie would too. So Emmett's decided she doesn't need any stress so he's not going to worry her if there's nothing to actually worry about."

My outrage dulled slightly, but not much.

"You still can't keep this from her." I scrambled out from under the sheets and onto my knees as I hovered over him. In a small corner of my mind, I wondered why I couldn't let this go. "You can't treat her like a child and decide for her, it's not right."

"Bella, it's not my decision."

"You made it your decision when you chose to just tell Emmett instead of both of them!"

His gaze sharpened, pinning me in place, it seemed.

"And that was because I'm aware of her medical history and didn't want to cause a problem where there needn't be one! Look, if, and it's a big if, there is anything going on with the curator, Rosalie will be told. But until then..."

"If it's nothing to worry about then why not tell her?"

Edward's eyes narrowed, he studied me carefully.

"Bella is this just about Rosalie? Or something else?"

His question pulled me up short. I wanted to say it was purely about Rosalie, but if I was honest, there _was_ more to it.

I flopped back down on the mattress and flung my arm over my eyes, surprised as I suddenly became lost in forgotten memories of my own outrage.

"I'm not comfortable when one person makes decisions for another, okay?"

Edward was very still. I could feel the tension in him.

"The way I used to decide for you?" he whispered.

I looked at him from under my arm, then sat up, meeting his gaze squarely.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know I was a bas..."

I shook my head. "Don't. I know you're sorry, we've been through all that, and not everything's about you, you know. I have had a life outside of you. This one's about Alexander."

"Your ex?"

"Yes."

I looked down at the bed, wriggling my toes as I tried to shake off the memory that still rankled. I'd loved Alexander, I'd loved my time with him, and I still thought he was a nice guy, but towards the end...

I shook myself a little, trying to let it all go. It was a long time ago. I hadn't really thought of it in years, but obviously there was still some residual anger.

"Bella, what did he do?"

Edward's voice was calm. Too calm, almost detached. When I looked up, his face was blank, impassive, but his eyes held the promise of dark threats and menace, like they had that night in the restaurant with Carl.

With the smallest of smiles, I touched his cheek.

"It's okay," I said. "He didn't hurt me. You can put the vampire away."

Edward blinked. The anger in his eyes calmed a little. His jaw relaxed and he turned his face to kiss my palm like he had before.

"Sorry," he said. "I just can't bear..."

"I know." I leant in and kissed him. "Thank you for the thought, but he doesn't deserve to have his throat ripped out in a dark alley."

Edward looked shocked, and affronted. "I never ripped throats out. I was never so crude."

"But the alleys?"

"Were very dark, yes. Bella..." He shook his head. "Why are we having _this_ particular conversation?"

There was a tone to his voice that filled me with a kind of embarrassed horror.

"Oh my God, I didn't mean to make light of...um..."

"My rebellious period?"

"Uh huh. I'm sorry."

He waved away my concern. "You're not making light. It is what it is and I can't change what I've done." He frowned, his eyes darkening once more. "Having said that, if anyone ever hurt you..."

I leant in quickly and kissed him again.

"I get the idea," I whispered as I pulled back.

Edward cocked his head, eyes curious now, concerned. He shifted so he lay stretched out beside me, propped up on one elbow. One foot gently brushed mine.

"We got off track, you keep changing the subject," he said. "Can I ask what happened with Alexander? You said your relationships were good."

I blew out a breath and pulled my knees to my chest, hugging them tight.

"You really want to talk about my ex-boyfriends while we're in bed together?"

Edward shrugged a shoulder. "If there's something troubling you, then yes. If you want to talk, I'll listen."

Did I want to talk?

Maybe I did.

"It's not exactly troubling me, but the whole deciding for someone else _is_ a bit of a sore point."

I tried to think how to start.

"My relationship with Alexander _was_ good..."

"But?"

"But, it didn't end well."

Edward was very still, and silent, and I was glad. It gave me the space to gather my thoughts.

"There were things that I'd originally thought were romantic and devoted and even protective, but they turned out to be controlling in the end."

There, that was the crux of it. Beside me, I could feel Edward's tension again. He reached for my hand and took it gently in his.

"Don't get me wrong," I said. "In the beginning it was great. _He_ was great. Kind, funny, great sense of humour, and things got serious. But the longer we were together, the closer we got, he became more possessive. I guess you could say controlling.

"In the last few months it became suffocating. He'd book a movie, or dinner, or a weekend away as a surprise, and I'd think _wow, how romantic._ But it wasn't just happening sometimes, it was all the time. And sometimes I didn't want to see that movie, or go to that restaurant. Sometimes I didn't want to go away because there was something else I wanted to do, but I'd feel bad about saying so because of the trouble he'd gone to, and the thought he'd put into things.

"Then he started answering my phone if I was out of the room because hey, we were a couple and that's what couples do, right? And he didn't want me to miss the call if I was busy with something else. Then he started doing it with texts. Reading and answering them if I wasn't there. He'd reply with _Bella's in the shower, I'll get her to text you back when she's out._ Or, _Bella's studying, she'll call you later._ He thought he was being helpful, and maybe he was, but that's not really the point, is it?"

"No," Edward said quietly. "It's not."

The conversation about Rosalie had really stirred this up for me and I was bristling just thinking about it all again.

"Gradually, it felt like he was taking over. It wasn't obvious at first, because everything seemed romantic and sweet and _thoughtful,_ and I wondered, if I wanted to question it, did that make me seem ungrateful?" I stopped and sighed. "We broke up when Jacob Black called to invite me to his bachelor party."

Despite the shadowed light, I saw Edward's eyes widen.

"Really?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "He's married. And Beth's lovely. And because Jake and I had stayed good friends he invited me to his bachelor party."

"That's...unconventional."

"Well, it wasn't quite your usual bachelor party. Really, he was inviting me to go riding motorbikes like we used to. Just the two of us. For old times sake, the month before his wedding."

Edward nodded. "A nice gesture," he said. "What happened?"

"Alexander answered my phone. He and Jake had met, they knew each other, so Jake told him what he was planning." I plucked at the sheet. "Alex told Jake I was already busy, even though I wasn't. Then he hung up and booked tickets for a concert that same weekend so there was a _real_ reason I couldn't go."

Edward's jaw hardened a little more. "How did you find out?"

"Jake called again a couple of days later to try and make it for another weekend. That time, _I_ answered the phone and it didn't take long for me to put two and two together. I was furious. When I confronted Alexander, he didn't deny it."

Edward rolled onto his back and tucked his arms behind his head again. He stared at the ceiling once more.

"How did he justify it?" he asked and I shut my eyes, remembering.

"He said motor bike riding was too dangerous for someone as accident-prone as me and he was just trying to protect me and I didn't need to know I'd had the invitation because I'd just feel disappointed that I couldn't go and he didn't want me to be disappointed." I paused for breath, frowning now as I opened my eyes.

"You know, Edward, he _really_ couldn't see it. He thought he was being a good boyfriend and he was genuinely shocked when I told him I wasn't happy with the way things were. It was obvious then that it wasn't going to work anymore, and I didn't like where things were going. He called me a ungrateful bitch and walked out."

Edward's lips thinned. His eyes narrowed.

"I see," he said.

He looked away and in the pale evening light I could see his jaw working. I expected him to say something, but when he didn't, I kept talking.

"A couple of days later, he turned up with flowers, apologising. Said he'd over-reacted because he was hurt, but he really couldn't see what he'd done wrong. Anyway, we talked, I tried to explain, but I still don't think he got it."

"Did he want you back?" Edward's voice came quietly through the soft darkness.

"He hinted at it, but I think he could tell there was no way it was happening. I suggested he give the flowers to the hospital."

I rested my chin on my knees, hugging my legs to me again as I stared out the window.

"I've never told anyone before."

Suddenly, I felt tired. So tired. I laid back down again. The moonlight spilled across the bed, making patterns on the sheets, and my legs. I moved my foot, making the little spots of light dance and bounce.

"What was Sam like?" Edward asked gently. "Can I ask?"

His question surprised me, but I was happy to answer.

"The complete opposite." I smirked. "I could say to Sam that I was going diving for ship wrecks off the coast for the weekend and he'd tell me to have fun. Then when I'd get back he'd ask if I wanted to order in or go to the pub for dinner." I wriggled my feet again, still watching the light dance and play. "The relationship ran its course about the time my visa ran out. We stayed friends, though. He took me to the airport when I flew home."

In the silence that followed that last memory, my mind wandered, going back over so many different moments, things that had shaped who I'd become, bringing me to this moment, right now.

And then I wondered how Edward was feeling, laying beside me as I spilled my guts about my ex-lovers. For a second I felt concerned, perhaps I'd said too much, but I needn't have worried. When I turned to him there was only understanding in his eyes, and love. And maybe just the slightest twitch in his jaw.

I smiled and kissed him sweetly.

"I love you, you know."  
"I love you, too," he said, nudging my nose with his. Then I sighed and pulled back a little.

"So, you can probably see now, the whole 'making decisions for others' thing doesn't sit well with me. When you said Emmett would decide if Rosalie needed to know..." I shrugged the rest of the sentence. "I guess I had some unresolved issues that came flooding back."

Edward reached for my hand, linking his fingers with mine, and gently squeezed.

"Are you okay?"he asked.

Was I?

"Yeah, actually, I am. I didn't think it mattered, but it obviously did, and it felt good to tell someone. Thank you for understanding."

I shifted closer to him.

"I do understand," Edward said. "And the man I am now wants to break Alexander's face for what he said, and did." He exhaled slowly. "And the man I am now also hates the fact that, the man I used to be would probably have behaved the same way. Without the verbal abuse."

My eyes shot open at that little bit of self-knowledge.

There were similarities, I knew that, but the circumstances were so vastly different. Edward had been a teenage vampire, in love for the first time, and trying to navigate his feelings. Alexander was human and had had two girlfriends before me.

"But you're not that man now," I said.

"I know," he whispered. "Because of you. _For_ you."

I considered that for a moment, thinking of everything Edward had done in the past few years; the travel, the career, the friends, and his adventures. His house by the sea. Ren, his dog. Restoring an old kombi van.

I shook my head.

"No," I said. "Not for me. For _you_."

As I said the words, I knew they were true. Though the idea wasn't completely new to me, and I'd glossed over it before, I could really see now, so clearly, that Edward wouldn't be who he was today if it hadn't been for our time apart.

I wouldn't be who I was, either.

And I liked us both, as we were now.

I wondered, if we'd stayed together back then, what would have become of us?

"Alexander wasn't a vampire, was he?" Edward's question brought me out of my thoughts. "Sorry," he said, and shook his head."Bad joke, ignore me. Did you get to go riding with Jake?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "I did. And it was great."

Edward smiled too. "I'm glad," he said.

"And this is my scar from it." I pointed to the small mark on the side of my knee and he rolled his eyes.

"I had wondered about that one," he said.

We were silent then, each of us quiet in our own thoughts as the silver moonlight played over our bodies.

"Edward?"  
"Yes?"

"That all got pretty heavy, didn't it?"

"Conversations go that way sometimes," he said. "Sometimes it's easier to talk in the dark."

"Things always seem more intense at night."

"They do," he agreed. His hand squeezed mine.

I turned to face him. We were close, sharing one pillow.

"I get why you only told Emmett. I understand. Rosalie's health, the baby's, they're the first priority. I might have over-reacted."

Edward kissed the tip of my nose.

"No," he said. "I can see why you feel the way you do. And you were just thinking of Rosalie."

I touched his cheek. "You've been very calm, and quiet while I talked."

He blinked slowly, and smiled into my eyes. "I've been listening."

Yes, he had been listening. To every word.

"Thank you," I said. "I think I needed to say all that."

I realised now, what comfort and love there can be in silence; in being truly listened to.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"While I was listening, you should probably know, I was planning what I'd do to Alexander if I ever ran into him."

I giggled and he grinned and I whacked him playfully on the arm.

"Edward?"  
"Yes?"  
"If I said I wanted to go motorbike riding..."

"I'd suggest you get a helmet. And knee pads."

Then he yawned spectacularly and I laughed again.

"Enough talking," I said. "Time to sleep."

I pulled Edward's head onto my chest, where he'd been before, and played with his hair again as he curled himself around me.

"Can we have one more week together?" he mumbled against me.

"What do you mean?"

"At my place." He yawned again and held me closer. "Can we move you back to your flat next weekend, instead of Wednesday?" He looked up me, eyes soft with sleep in the moonlight, his hair tumbling over his forehead. "One more week? Until you're ready for...forever?"

My heart almost broke with the hope I saw in his face and the promise in his words.

"You get your own key, remember?" I kissed his forehead. "And yes, one more week."

He smiled, and settled back between my breasts, listening to my heart, and my mind went back over the evening. I thought of birthday cakes and vampires and lego forts and the love of a good listener.

"Edward?"

"Mm?"

"I forgot to ask you, when Rosalie and Emmett changed, what did you do to get the adrenaline flowing through your blood?"

The corner of his mouth twitched with a smile.

"Long story," he murmured. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

Now he had me curious. I didn't want to wait, but my own eyes were getting heavy, and he was practically asleep.

"Okay," I whispered. "Tomorrow."

Then I kissed the top of Edward's head, closed my eyes and drifted off to the gentle sound of his snoring.

-o0o-

 **A/N: I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year : )**

 **Thanks for your patience in waiting for this chapter. And huge thanks for the lovely reviews for the last chapter, it really means so much, thank you xx**

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 **My good friend Melanie Moreland has a new booking coming out. "It Started With A Kiss" is a fantastic story of love and laughter and guaranteed to make you smile. You can check it out on Amazon now : )**

 **This chapter is un-beta'd. All mistakes are mine. I've gone through twice, but as usual, it's late at night, the eyes are drooping, so if you see anything I've missed, please let me know :)**

 **Thank you all again, your support of this story has been amazing, and is appreciated more than I can say. MWAH! xx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-o0o-**

It was still early when I woke. The sunlight was just creeping across the bed, and all was quiet - except for the faint _tap tap tap_ of fingers on a keyboard.

I rolled over and found Edward, apparently wide awake, sitting up with his laptop on his thighs, glasses on his nose, and a look of deep concentration.

"What are you doing?" My voice was thick and sleepy, but Edward's wasn't.

"Hello." He smiled and leant down to kiss me. "Did I wake you? Sorry."

"It's fine." I blinked a couple of times. "What are you doing?"  
"Hacking."

Hacking?

I scanned my memory, going over the night before. Dinner with Rose and Emmett. Hannah and Max. I'd told Edward about Alexander. There'd been the email about my flat, Edward was going to have his own key and that made me smile. What would he be hack...

"Oh! Marion Tinsley?" Suddenly it all came back and my curiosity was piqued. He said he'd try again in the morning, but I hadn't thought he'd meant so early. "Have you found anything?"

"I have," he said. "I've found a lot."

"Really? Are you serious?" I sat up and shifted closer, my curiosity in full flight now, waking my brain and kicking it into gear. "What have you found?"

"Files going back eight years." Edward started flicking through tabs open on his screen. "It turns out Marion Tinsley used to be Mary-Anne Baciu."

"Used to be?"

"She changed her name, eight years ago."

I waited for more, but he just kept staring at the screen.

"And?"

He turned to me again. "Sorry," he laughed softly. "Stuck in my thoughts. I guess I should start from the beginning."

"Yeah, you probably should."

I nestled into his side as he began.

"I worked backwards," he said. "Like we discussed last night. We knew she'd worked at the museum in Sydney, and I finally got into their employee records and found her file. Her CV led me to her job before that, and the one before that..." I watched as he opened document after document.

"There are some missing gaps here and there though."

I was taking all this in, but still wasn't sure of the conclusion he'd come to.

"Nup, you're going to have to explain better than that."

Edward leant back against the pillows and looked at me over his glasses.

"Mary-Anne Baciu was an academic specialising in Eastern European history. She's English, but she had a good position as a professor at a university in Romania. She'd published works on Romanian myths and legends, including a volume about vampires."

For some reason, for the first time since I'd realised the truth about Edward all those years ago in Forks, the word _vampire_ sent a shiver down my spine.

"Dracula's Romanian, isn't he?"

"Dracula's a myth, but yes, the stories started there and for good reason." He gave me a meaningful look and I shivered softly once more.

"Vampire central?"

His lips quirked, trying not to smile, it seemed.

"You could say that," he said, and turned back to the laptop. "But Mary-Anne disappeared eight years ago, during a trip to Italy."

"Italy? Not Romania?"

"Italy," Edward repeated. "Where the Volturi live." He opened another tab; a document that looked like an official sort of report. "She vanished. Missing person reports filed by her family went unresolved. Her police file is still technically open now. But a year after Mary-Anne disappeared, Marion Tinsley turned up in the south of France, working in a cafe."

"How do you know it was her?"  
He opened another tab; a document from a London office registering the change of name from Mary-Anne Baciu to Marion Tinsley.

"And there are these photos," he said, pointing out a grainy image from the archives of the Romanian university, and another, more recent one from the museum in Sydney. She'd aged, obviously, but it was definitely her.

"Since then, she's found a new home every two years without fail. Except this time. This time it was more like eighteen months, which is what makes me sure that she's no threat to you, or us, or anyone else."

"So, you're saying Mary-Anne Baciu discovered the existence of vampires eight years ago, and she's been on the run as Marion Tinsley ever since?"

"Yes."

"And my scar..."

"Spooked her." Edward shut the laptop now and set it on the floor. "She's doing everything she can to stay away from vampires. She's not working with the Volturi, she's avoiding them." He slid down the pillows, stretched luxuriously like a cat, then pulled me to him. "Just like I thought," he said. "And besides, I'm sure we would have heard from Alice if something was wrong."

"I thought you said you told her not to call you about her visions anymore."

"I did. But if it was something as major as the Volturi tracking me down, believe me, she'd call. Actually no, she wouldn't call. She'd just turn up on my doorstep."

I looked at my scar, tracing it with my finger before lifting my eyes to Edward's.

"You're sure."

He nodded solemnly. "Positive. Although..."

"What?"  
"Baciu. That's a Romanian name." He chewed on his bottom lip as he considered. "I'm wondering what started her interest in vampires in the first place? If there's a Romanian connection in her past, or her ancestry?"

My eyes widened. "Do you think someone in her family was a vampire?"

"I don't know." He looked deep in thought for a moment, then shrugged and shook his head. "It was probably a Romanian grandparent with stories from the old country," he said. "Like my grandfather used to tell me about the ghost that haunted his childhood home."

"You remember that?"

He nodded, a slightly indignant look in his eyes. "I know it was a long time ago, Bella, but my memory isn't that bad."

I giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Besides," he said, seemingly placated as he nuzzled my neck. "Granddad's stories of a medieval knight rattling his chain mail were pretty terrifying. Not so easy to forget."

"Who was he?"

Edward blinked at me. "My Grandfather?"

"No, the ghost."

"Oh. I don't know." His lips twitched. "I guess he never formally introduced himself."

I gave him a playful punch in the arm. "You know what I mean. Did you Grandfather find out who it might have been?"

"Er, not that I know of. But it doesn't matter because ghosts don't really exist."

"But you believed in them then?"  
"I was a kid. I believed in Santa Clause, too."

"Hang on." I pushed myself further up the pillows and stared down at him, surprised at this new piece of information. "How can a vampire not believe in ghosts?"

"Because they don't exist. Simple. And I'm not a vampire anymore, in case you haven't noticed."

"Oh, I've noticed," I smirked. "Believe me."

Life was stirring in the rest of the house. Little footsteps. Excited squeals.

"Sounds like the birthday girl's up," Edward said. "I'd say we have fifteen minutes before someone's knocking at our door."

"Enough time for a quick shower," I said and climbed out of bed. Edward sat up again, cocked his head and smiled, eyes curious now.

"Do _you_ believe in ghosts?" He sounded incredulous and it made me bristle.

"Well, you're an _ex_ -vampire, and Jake is a werewolf. If so much of the supernatural world is actually real, I think it's safe to assume that ghosts aren't just figments of the imagination."

I walked into the bathroom, stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower. Edward was out of bed now, too. He followed me, leaning in the bathroom doorway, gloriously naked, arms folded across his chest.

"No," he said, frowning. "I don't think you can assume that at all."

"Why not?"

"Well, what about all the other supernatural creatures in myths and legends? What about the bogeyman? Is he real?"

"Of course not." I let the water run over my head. "But it's hardly the same," I said, raising my voice over the pounding water.

"Why not?" Edward asked.

"It just isn't. He's a story to make children behave."

Edward came forward, leaning against the vanity now. He checked his teeth in the mirror, and grabbed his toothbrush from his small black toiletries bag.

"The tooth fairy?" he asked as he added toothpaste to the bristles. "Is the tooth fairy real?"

"You're being ridiculous now."

"How about the Loch Ness Monster?"

"Ah! Now that one could be real. There are photos."

He groaned and shook his head as he brushed, very carefully as always, taking his time, top row first, then the bottom. When he was done, he turned to me.

"Bella, have you ever _seen_ a ghost?"

I giggled.

"Er, no. I haven't." I blinked the water out of my eyes. "But you look like you're foaming at the mouth right now."

He muttered something and then lowered his face to the sink as he rinsed his mouth.

"But..." I went on. "That doesn't mean there _aren't_ ghosts. And actually, Edward, I think it's kind of arrogant of you to think that vampires and werewolves are the only supernatural creatures out there."

His mouth fell open.

" _Arrogant_? Seriously?"

"Uh huh." I turned off the water, opened the shower door and poked my head out. "What makes you so certain you're right, hm? How do you know for sure that there are no ghosts?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes, his exasperation clear as he grabbed a towel and tossed it to me.

"Because," he said, "They never came to the meetings."

-o0o-

Hannah was so excited she was practically bouncing off the walls and Max was caught up in the mood and bouncing with her. It was pandemonium in the living room, with discarded wrapping paper and ribbons scattered everywhere, and Hannah had been quickly banned from riding her brand new scooter up and down the hallway with Max running behind.

"It's an outside toy," Rosalie reminded them in a firm voice that was tempered with a gentle look.

So Hannah switched her attention back to her other gifts that lay across the floor. There had been a kind of frenzy as she'd opened everything initially, barely stopping to look at one present before moving onto the next. Now she was coming back to take her time.

She loved Edward's dragon book, and made him promise to read it to her at bedtime.

When she'd opened my gift of colouring books and sketch books and pencils and paints, her little had face lit up. It was clear from her delight that Edward had been right when he said she loved drawing. Now she looked through the colouring book, studying the pictures inside, oohing and aahing at a mermaid and a lighthouse. Then she thanked me very sweetly with a hug.

"Will you colour with me later?" she asked.

Her question came as a surprise, because so far she'd been shy with me.

"Yeah, sure. That sounds like fun." She smiled, then yelled at Max to stop touching her jewellery-making kit. "I haven't even opened the box up, yet!"

"I didn't! I'm not!" Max yelled back but the plastic emerald stuck on his ear told a different story.

Emmett was trying not to laugh as he intervened.

"Hey buddy," he said as he peeled the fake gem from his son's ear. "Come and help me set up for Pin the Tail on the Donkey."

He took a grumbling, scowling Max by the hand and led him outside while Rosalie soothed and assured a teary Hannah that none of her jewels were missing. While Hannah sniffed, Rosalie looked at us over the top of her daughter's head and mouthed silently that it was going to be a long day.

Edward nodded, then whispered in my ear. "And it's not even eight o'clock yet."

Once tempers were calmed and all was right again, the business of party preparation got underway.

While Rosalie set the barbeque table with party decorations and Edward supervised scooter riding on the driveway, I helped Emmett with making fairy bread.

"It's pretty simple," he said, buttering a slice of bread before plopping it butter-side down on a plate of multi-coloured sugar sprinkles. He pushed it back and forth a little and when it was thoroughly coated and looking like a rainbow explosion, he cut the slice into four triangles, and popped one into his mouth. "Goes well with the chocolate crackles," he said, setting the pieces on a platter.

"Chocolate crackles? They're the things in the fridge that look a bit like rice krispie treats?"

"Yep." He handed me the loaf of bread. "No birthday party's complete without them. You keep going, I'll start clearing up the kitchen."

"The whole loaf?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "We've got twelve kids coming, they'll get through that in no time flat."

"Even with the jello...I mean _jelly_ cups, and the cake and the chips and the chocolate crackles and the..." What else was there?

"Party pies and sausage rolls," Emmett filled in the blanks. "Yep, it'll all go."

He began clearing away the breakfast things and unloading the dishwasher while I set to my task. Apparently we were feeding an army. A very short army.

I'd done three slices when Edward came in with Hannah and Max. The kids ran for the living room, Edward stopped by my side.

"Fairy bread," he grinned and grabbed a piece.

"Hey! That's not for you."

"I know," he mumbled round a mouthful. "But it's impossible to resist."

"He's right," Emmett said, and took a second piece for himself as Edward reached for another.

I gave them both a look.

"This is obviously the real reason why I need to do the whole loaf, isn't it?"

Emmett ducked his head and resumed cleaning duties. Edward said something about keeping the kids busy and disappeared into the living room.

I tried to hide my smile as I got back to work. Butter. Sprinkles. Cut. Easy.

"Edward told me about the treehouse idea," Emmett said as he re-loaded the dishwasher. "I think there's something in it. Real potential." He grinned. "And I like your idea for the name. True Blue Treehouses."

"Really? He told you about the name?" I was glad Edward had brought up the business idea, but had never thought he'd go that far into detail.

Emmett tapped his temple. "I'm already thinking and planning," he said.

"Well, that's great. I think you'd make quite the team."

"As long as we don't kill each other in the process. He can be such an ass, sometimes, but you probably know that already."

"Yeah, well, he has his moments."

Emmett gave me one of his broad, beaming smiles.

"I'm glad you're here," he said. "I thought after I said what I said at Edward's that night, there might have been trouble between you two."

I shook my head, remembering Emmett's accidental revelation.

"No, it was actually good. Brought a lot of stuff to the surface. Otherwise, we might have still been dancing around each other."

Emmett nodded. "Yeah, Edward's good at that. Sometimes he needs a push. Sounds like now's the right time for you two, though. It was all probably for the best."

His comment had me curious.

"You think it's good that we didn't find each other sooner?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Why?"

"Because Edward needed to sort himself out. Properly." He shut the dishwasher, turned it on, and leant against the sink, his massive arms folded across his chest. "And he wouldn't have been able to do that if he was with you." He winced. "Geez, I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I know that sounds bad, but...it's kinda true. If you'd got back together right after his change, or even three years later when he tracked you down on Facebook, well, back then he wasn't the guy you see now. And he mightn't ever have become that guy."

I leant over the island, elbows on its surface, face cupped in my hands, and realised I was just as intrigued by this new philosophical side of Emmett, as I was about his theories on Edward. I thought back to our conversation in Edward's living room, which now seemed to be a forerunner to this one.

"Go on," I said. "I think I know where you're headed with this." Because I'd gone down a similar path last night when Edward and I had talked in bed. I wondered if Emmett and I had come to the same conclusion.

Emmett looked a little awkward now. He unfolded and re-folded his arms.

"The change back to human is big," he said. "Going from predator to prey, you feel vulnerable, and that's kind of terrifying. And I'd been pretty comfortable in my own skin, before I was a vampire, and during, but even so..." He paused and looked away and I could see the memory of his struggle on his face. "I felt real shaky for a while. Not physically, although there was that too, but in here." He rubbed a large fist over his chest. "But, you know, even though the change was hard, and confusing, I ended up dealing with it okay because I already knew who I was."

I nodded, finding it hard to imagine the happy-go-lucky Emmett feeling confused or shaky about anything.

"I get what you mean," I said. "But why do you think Edward wouldn't be who he is now if we'd got together sooner?"

Emmett frowned, as though searching for the right words.

"Look, I could be wrong," he said. "And that would make me a jerk to say all this, but I don't think I am. Wrong, that is."

I waited patiently, wondering if he would continue. A second later, he did.

"Okay," he began. "After Edward changed back, it was like everything he did was for you. Every plan he made, every decision, was based on what _you_ would want and need. He had to be strong enough to protect you. He had to have a real job and a real home so he could offer you a real future. He was carving out a new life all around you. Nothing was about him. And don't get me wrong, that's great, _if_ you already know who you are."

"But he didn't."  
"Not then, no," he said quietly.

I smiled a slow smile as I straightened up.

"So you're saying Edward needed to find himself, before he could find me?" It was pretty much what I'd realised last night.

Emmett scrunched up his nose. "Well, that sounds a bit hippy-dippy, but yeah. It was only after he came here that he really settled into his own _human_ skin, and found out who he was."

A squeal of laughter came from the living room. Edward, Max, and Hannah were all balancing on one leg. Hannah was counting.

"Eight, nine, ten, eleven...no Max, you can't touch the chair, that's cheating!"

Obviously a contest was in progress. Edward wobbled dramatically, making the children giggle, until he finally tumbled over in a theatrical somersault and bumped into the sofa. Max dived on top of him and Hannah piled on, too, the three of them laughing hard.

"I won!" Edward declared, much to the outrage of his niece and nephew.

"No you didn't!"

"No?" He sat up. "I thought it was the first one down," he said innocently.

"NO!" The children cried. " _Last_ one down!"

A rematch was quickly announced because of silly Uncle Nedwood, and the three of them resumed their one-legged positions.

"And that's who he is," I whispered, smiling.

"Yep, he's the biggest kid of all, I think." Emmett chuckled softly. "And the biggest surprise."

I turned back to him.

"Oh, I don't know," I said. "You're a bit of a surprise yourself, Emmett."

He blushed and turned to the sink where the crystal tumblers we'd used at dinner last night sat waiting.

"I'd better wash these glasses by hand," he said. "They're the good ones, Rosie doesn't like them going in the dishwasher."

-o0o-

Everything was ready and with an hour still to go until the party started, Rosalie sat the kids down to watch a movie.

"To keep them quiet for a little while," she said. "We don't want them too over-excited, too soon."

"I think they were over-excited at six o'clock this morning," Emmett chuckled.

He sat with them, watching the story of Rapunzel, while Rose went for a quick rest, and I was left wondering where Edward had got to.

I found him in the bedroom, lying on the bed.

"Are you sleeping?" I teased.

"Obviously not," he said, holding up the Scandinavian thriller he was reading.

"Escaping the children then?"  
I shut the door and joined him on the bed.

"Escaping sounds a bit harsh." He pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Having a half-time break, maybe? I've only been in here five minutes."

"Fair enough. Why didn't you didn't tell me you were taking a break?"

I snuggled into his side and felt his arm go round me.

"You were busy with the lolly bags and sometimes it's better to just disappear quietly." He kissed the top of my head and I snuggled closer. "Besides, I figured you'd find your way here once Rose put the movie on. If you hadn't turned up in a few more minutes I would have come looking for you."

I smiled and traced a pattern over his chest. He was wearing a dark green t-shirt that looked so good against the slight tan of his skin.

He hooked his leg over mine as he kept reading.

I yawned and stared at the garden through the window. It was so peaceful, being with him like this. There can be such contentment in silence, sometimes. Contentment in _just being._

I was debating whether to get my own book out and read for a while, when I remembered something from the night before, and sat up.

"Hey, you were going to tell me how you got your adrenaline pumping for Rosalie's change."  
Edward looked at me over the top of his glasses, and I could see a flicker of confusion. "Last night, just before we went to sleep. I asked you and you said you'd tell me in the morning."

He smiled now. "I did, didn't I."

He put down the book and got comfortable against the pillows, a delicious smirk on his lips.

"Well?"

"I'm just thinking of the best place to start. What did Rose actually tell you?"

I relayed the conversation about the first failed attempt, and Carlisle's realisation that adrenaline might be the key.

Edward nodded. I waited. He stayed silent, thoughtful, and in the pause that followed, my mind began to race with possibilities.

"Did you watch a horror movie?"

My interruption clearly surprised him.

"Er, no," he said.

"Oh. I just thought...you know, a scary movie, that'd do it for me."

He shook his head and the smirk was back.

"My life has been a horror movie, Bella." He leaned in close and whispered in my ear. "I AM what's waiting down in the cellar."

I giggled and he grinned as he pulled back.

"Always the wrong reaction," he said as he took off his glasses and set them on the bedside table. "I don't think a horror movie would get your heart racing at all." He leant against the pillows again and stared up at the ceiling, frowning.

"No, it wasn't a cinematic villain."

"Then what?"

His lips tightened. "I knew I had to get my heart pounding hard. And fast. There was one way I knew for sure I could do it, and now I'm just thinking how to tell you what happened. It's actually quite embarrassing." His right hand rested on the sheet between us and he curled his fingers slowly into his palm, flexing subtly as he did so. My imagination skipped into erotic over-drive.

"Oh! Did you...um, pleasure yourself?"

His eyes flew open, and his mouth too.

"What? No! Why would you think...no!"

"It would get your heart pounding!"

"Yes, but..." He stared at me for a moment, a faint look of horror on his face. "Bella, Carlisle had to be there with me, to take my blood, practically as it happened. You think I'd do that with an audience?"

"Well, I didn't know Carlisle had to be there."

Edward still looked horrified.

"No," he said simply. "I didn't pleasure myself."

But now his vehemence made me wonder.

"Do you ever?"

He blinked twice, then arched a brow as a slow smile stole across his lips.

"Do you?" he asked, then chuckled softly when I didn't answer. "So, back to the adrenaline story then?" he said.

"I think so. Although..." I felt the blush roar across my cheeks and I looked down at the sheets, plucking at the linen and letting some very graphic images meander through my mind. "If you ever wanted to see what it was like with an audience..." I glanced up through my lashes.

"I'd give a very good review."

There was a flash of something dark in Edward's eyes as they widened. His chest expanded slowly with a deep breath. He shifted slightly beneath the sheet.

"It's something to think about," he said, as the faint sounds of a waking household made themselves heard. We both laid back on the pillows, each of us staring at the ceiling with no secret where our thoughts had gone. He ran his foot along my calf, and I hooked my leg over his.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"There's a creek on the property here, away from the house. It's a very secluded spot. Lots of trees and soft grass." He reached out and took my hand. "I'd like to show you later. I think you'll like it." His voice was deep, a seductive rumble full of promise. My heart skipped in my chest.

"I'd like to see it."

He nodded and kissed my knuckles. Then he sighed.

"But back to the adrenaline thing," he said. "It started with a fast car, and ended in a jail cell."

I wasn't sure what I'd been thinking, but that wasn't it.

"A jail cell?"

He nodded. "We lived in a remote area with lots of narrow, windy roads. Some were steep because they wound their way along a cliff. And I decided driving my Vanquish along those roads, at night, would get my blood pumping." He gave me a pointed look. "Not so X-rated after all?"

"Er no. Go on."

He tucked his arms behind his head and spoke to the ceiling.

"Carlisle was concerned about it. He thought, without my vampire vision and reflexes I was putting myself at too much risk. I told him to come with me because then he'd be able to grab the wheel and save me from any sort of disaster. And anyway, he needed to be there to take my blood."

"Not while you were driving and changing gears?"

"No." He glanced at me. "It was part of the plan to pull over for that."

"Yeah, that would be pretty tricky."

"Just a bit."

He faced the ceiling again. "So there were the two of us, driving along. There was a designated finish point where Rose and Emmett would be waiting. I was powering through the gears, tearing along the road..." He paused, a small smile tugging at his lips. "It was exhilarating. I'd driven like that before of course, but now there was an added edge, the possibility of disaster, the thrill of real danger seemed to sweeten it even more. And for some weird reason, for a few minutes, I was happy. Excited. And it was the first feeling of _real_ happiness I'd felt in the weeks since my change. But then Carlisle heard a car and told me to slow down." He grimaced. "It was the police, and they put their sirens on. I wanted to hit the gas again and try to outrun them but Carlisle wouldn't allow it. Too dangerous, he said."

"What did you do?"

"Well, by then the police had probably already got my licence plate, it would be worse to keep going, so the only thing I could do was pull over. But Carlisle had to get out first." He turned his head on the pillow, fixing me with an intense green gaze. "As vampires we make a point of avoiding the police, I'm sure you can imagine why."

I could see several complications of a police run-in, yes.

"And anyway," Edward said. "It could be interesting trying to explain the syringes and other medical apparatus in the car. So as I slowed down, I veered over to the side of the road, putting the car deeper into the shadows and Carlisle jumped out. He was so fast, the police wouldn't have seen, and I pulled over just a little further along."

Here he stopped a moment, inhaling sharply before he continued.

"I still had the same driver's licence I'd had as a vampire, I hadn't got round to getting an updated one yet, so the photo didn't match my human face. I looked older than the licence too, not a teenager, so they were naturally suspicious. And of course, with the way I'd been speeding, they wanted to test me for alcohol. They did the walk-and-turn test." He grimaced and draped his arm over his face. "I was still getting used to my _human_ legs, as Esme called it. I stumbled on the third step. The straight line I was supposed to walk, wasn't."

"Oh no, Edward..."

"They took me to the police station and I had to pee in a cup while an officer stood outside the cubicle door."

He spoke with such dignity, and such contempt.

"Oh!" I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. "Oh, Edward, that must have been..."

"Excruciatingly humiliating? Yes, it was."

He rubbed his hands over his face. "The whole bathroom thing was still quite new to me, so to have to basically perform in front of a audience..." He gave me a pointed look. "It wasn't going to happen easily."

"Performance anxiety?"

"You could say that."

I was nearly drawing blood I was biting my lip so hard. Edward smiled.

"It's okay," he said. "You can laugh."

"Oh thank God." The laughter burst out of me and Edward chuckled.

"Did they get their sample?" I asked between breaths.

"Eventually. Then I had to wait in a cell with a drunk real estate agent called Ernie who liked my shoes a little too much and wanted to sell me a time-share property in Florida."

By now my sides were aching from laughter.

"Stop!" I gasped. "It hurts!"

"I thought I was going to have to stay all night, with Ernie waiting for me to fall asleep so he could steal my shoes. For the first time I could remember, I felt trapped, but then Carlisle walked in, played the older brother card, and took me home like some errant teenager. My unblemished record permanently soiled."

"Can't...breathe..." I swallowed hard. "How did Carlisle...get you out?"

"Oh, he worked his vampire charm, flashed his medical credentials, and they let me go with a speeding fine and a warning but no further investigation. My sample was discarded, after all the effort it took to produce it." He sighed. "All the things I've done, all the crimes I've committed, and it's a _speeding_ _ticket_ they get me with. It's almost insulting."

Tears were streaming down my cheeks.

"Must...have been...awful..."

"Terrible," he said, grinning. "When I walked out of the police station I was so relieved, so glad to be out of there, I actually punched the air."

"You? Punched the air?"

"There might have been a _woohoo_ , as well."

That brought a fresh round of laughter, and an embarrassingly loud snort.

"Shouldn't they...have called Carlisle...from the start? If you were under age?"

"In the months since I'd left Forks I'd turned eighteen, according to the date on my licence."

I lay there on the bed, breathless, almost panting.

"So did you find some other way to get your adrenaline going?"

"Nope," he said. "A couple of nights later we did the same thing, in a different area, and it worked. I drove for a while, got my heart pumping hard, then pulled over and Carlisle immediately put the needle in my vein, while my hand was still on the gearstick." He shrugged.

"Five minutes later he was injecting my blood into Rosalie. A week after that she was human."

"And Emmett?"

"Same."

"Wow."

I sighed, my mind going over everything he'd told me. "If Carlisle had been in the car when the police pulled you over?"

"They may have wanted a sample from him too, especially if they found what looked like drug paraphernalia in the car. Blood or urine, either was obviously impossible."

"A close call, huh?"

"Very. And now I realise I have to change my answer to your question of what my most embarrassing moment is."

"Blowing fettuccine out of your nose comes second now?"

"No, it's a tie between the two, I think."

"Well, at least you didn't blow fettuccine out of your nose _while_ you were peeing in a cup."

I was wracked with new giggles while Edward grinned.

"I'm glad my humiliations amuse you."

"You told me I could laugh."

"I know. And it is funny. _Now_."

He stared at the ceiling again as he smiled, and I couldn't believe this funny, flawed, human was mine.

"Hey Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

He looked down at me, his eyes brilliant as he beamed. Then he punched the air.

"Woohoo," he whispered, and kissed me.

-o0o-

The party was a success.

Games, presents, jelly and cake.

Edward and I stayed mostly in the background, helping out where it was needed, heating party pies and sausage rolls, getting band aids for a scraped knee, while Rosalie and Emmett ran the rest of the show.

I'd never known how much noise a bunch of five and six year olds could make. Or how exhausting they could be. By the time Hannah blew the candles out on her cake, I was ready to collapse.

As the last child took their lolly bag and waved goodbye, all I wanted was a bottle of wine.

I didn't know how Rose had managed to keep up with it all; always smiling, always patient. She glowed, and I could see she was truly in her element. Emmett too.

And I had to admit, the party had been fun. I'd never been to a kids birthday party before, and it had been kind of great to be part of so much excitement and joy.

But now came the tidy-up. As I started clearing the barbeque table, Rosalie put a gentle hand on my arm.

"Leave it," she said. "It'll still be there in an hour, come and sit for a while. Relax."

So we did.

I dropped onto the sofa beside Edward, and we watched Rosalie and Hannah look through the gifts her friends had brought, while Emmett and Max did a puzzle together.

"Quiet time," Edward whispered as he nuzzled my cheek. I smiled.

"That might be us one day," I murmured.

"I hope so," he replied.

Then he stood and took my hand.

"Now might be a good time to show you the creek," he whispered. Then he turned to Rose and Emmett. "I'm just going to show Bella round the property. We'll be back in a while."

I wasn't sure, but I thought I might have heard Emmett snicker as we left the room.

It was a good long walk to the creek, which was out of sight from the house and on the edge of the bush. Its water was crystal clear and the grass on its banks was as soft as Edward had described.

I crouched down and trailed my fingers through the bubbling water, watching the sun skip and dance on its surface. When I looked up, Edward was watching me with dark eyes and the sexiest of smirks on his lips.

"This is beautiful," I whispered.

"I know," he said, and pulled his shirt off over his head.

Here, away from the house and just the two of us, he was no longer Uncle Nedwood.

He was my lover.

We lay in each other's arms on the grass, our kisses becoming more urgent as we shed our clothes and then Edward pulled back, holding my gaze for a moment before sliding his hand down his gorgeous body, lower and lower, through the faint trail of bronze hair that dusted his tanned skin, until he took himself in hand.

It was beautiful, watching his fingers as they slowly curled around his length; watching his eyes flutter closed as he stroked back and forth. The tremor in his thighs, the clench of those hard stomach muscles. The smooth, rhythmic, flex and twist of his wrist as he gave himself up to sensation. As his right hand worked, his left clutched at the grass; a hard-knuckled fist that strained white against his skin.

His face was tilted to the fading sun and its pearly light caught the beauty of his pleasure that was etched in his face, in the arch and swallow of his throat. He groaned and rolled his hips, pushing hard into his hand as he bit into his lip.

I thought my heart might explode.

My fingers found their way to the throbbing need between my own thighs and when I moaned, Edward's eyes flew open.

He growled as he watched me, a sound so low and deep it was almost other-worldly, and suddenly watching wasn't enough. Suddenly I was above him, straddling his thighs as his fingers gripped my hips and I took him in.

I cried out, and so did he, and it took only four hard thrusts of his own hips before we shattered and fell apart, together, in each other's arms.

Chests heaving, we lay in a heap on the grass while the afternoon breeze brushed over our skin. I kissed Edward's chest, right over his heart, and felt his lips in my hair.

"It's a great creek," I whispered.

"It's the best."

-o0o-

We returned to Sydney the next day.

Back to real life.

It was hard saying goodbye to Rosalie and Emmett, but it seemed it wouldn't be long before we'd visit again.

"You have to come and see the baby when it's born anyway," Rose said. "And you're welcome for Christmas, remember."

Max's bottom lip had quivered as he'd hugged Uncle Nedwood goodbye. Hannah had presented me with the drawing we'd made together the night before; flowers and a cottage with fairies dancing on the roof.

"For you," she said. "And I'll make another one for next time you visit, too."

I'd been so touched, I'd thought my bottom lip might quiver, too.

But it was also good to get back to Edward's place. To drop our stuff in the hallway and collapse on the sofa and know that we were alone and there would be no-one knocking at our door.

I wanted McCarty-style domestic bliss in my life, but perhaps not just yet.

By the time I got to work the next day, it almost felt like I hadn't been away.

I caught up with Rachel, and after work I visited my flat to collect the mail and check things out. The barricades were gone, the garden had been tidied. The little garden gnome was still hidden in the bushes where I'd left him. And Beryl was there by the letterbox.

"Are you already moved back in?" I asked, hugging her.

"Yesterday," she said. "Not so much damage to my place. You copped the brunt of it. I've been sticky-beaking through your window and it looks good in there. But how are you, Bella, love?" She leaned in close. "Been seeing more of that Edgar chap?"

"Edward. And yes."

Her eyes twinkled. "Well, he seems to be doing you good, judging by the smile on your face. Come in for a cuppa?"

"Um, I'd like to but Edward's cooking dinner for me."

"Ah." She smiled and nodded. "He sounds like a keeper."

"Yeah, he is."

"Then I'll look forward to meeting him. Next weekend?"

"Yep." I grinned. "And you'll be seeing him around here a lot, actually." I was feeling excited at the prospect of having Edward stay at my place, lying in bed with him and watching the fairy lights outside my window.

Beryl smiled again and patted my hand, then sent me on my way.

"Go to him," she said. "Don't keep him waiting."

The traffic was terrible and it was almost dark when I finally pulled up outside the house. It was good to get out and stretch, and the faint aroma of lasagne greeted me as I walked up the steps onto the front deck. The other thing that greeted me, was Edward's raised voice, coming from inside.

I couldn't make out the words, but the tone sent shivers down my spine and I felt a sick sort of panic as I flung open the door and barrelled into the hall.

Edward was in the living room, hands balled into fists, glaring at someone who was just out of sight in the kitchen.

"Edward?" I took a tentative step towards him. He held out his arm, and I took his hand, letting him bring me in close to his side. He kept his gaze straight ahead, and when I looked in that direction, my heart dropped to my toes.

There stood the spiky-haired pixie who had once been like a sister to me.

Alice had just turned up on his doorstep.

-o0o-

 **A/N: "Eight Days" came 2** **nd** **in the Drop Everything Fic category in the TwiFic Fandom Awards! To say I was blown away doesn't even come close. Thank you so much to everyone who voted. And just thank you to everyone who's supported this story *hugs you all***

 **This story started out as a simple "what if?" and just took on a life of its own and it means so much to me that so many of you are enjoying it and are still along for the ride : ) xx**

 **This is an un-beta'd chapter. If I've missed something, give me a shout : )**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

-o0o-

"Oh Bella, look at you!"

Alice squealed and clapped her hands, like she and Edward hadn't just been glaring at each other.

Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to reciprocate her delight.

There _was_ a time when I would have been overjoyed to see her, but now it was trepidation that I felt.

Unease.

She looked exactly the same, of course.

She came towards me, arms open wide, her smile brilliant. Until Edward stopped her. He took just a single step, effectively angling himself in front of me like a protective wall of muscle and shoulders.

"No."

His voice was low and dark and held an edge of warning that unsettled me.

"No, you don't get to play happy reunions."

Alice propped, her smile fading quickly, the happy performance ending as she looked between us, uncertainty in her tawny eyes.

"Edward..."

"You going to tell her why you're here? Or will I?"

There was the faintest flicker of surprise on Alice's face and Edward's lip curled in a smile.

"Bella and I have no secrets," he said gently. "Not any more."

To another human Alice would seem calm and composed but I've seen too many vampires, seen too much deception, and I wasn't fooled by her smile or her casual words.

"I don't know what you mean," she said. "I just want to catch up with Bella."

"You know exactly what I mean," he said. "And in case you're wondering if I'm serious, I am. Deadly."

A chill snaked down my spine. Not just because of the possible reason for Alice's visit, but because of the way she and Edward were with each other. The fear that I'd felt a moment ago was suddenly eclipsed by a heavy sadness. It washed through me as I watched Edward and Alice glare at each other while he basically made himself a human barricade to protect me her.

"It's come to this?" Alice asked softly, sadly.

"If necessary, yes." Edward's voice held a note of melancholy, and a wistfulness that clutched at my heart.

I cleared my throat.

"Um, hi Alice," I tried a smile, desperate to create a distraction and ease some of the tension in the room. Then I went up on my toes and kissed Edward's cheek. "This is a surprise. So, you two want to tell me what's going on?"

Edward and Alice stared at each other like they were locked in some telepathic conversation, even though he couldn't read her mind. There was a hard knot of fear in my stomach.

My world had been pretty perfect the last couple of weeks but now it felt like that world had been pulled out from under me. Like I was in free-fall, not knowing where I'd land. I wanted to know why Alice was here, and I _didn't_ want to know. Because right now, in this moment when no-one was talking, I could still believe that Edward and I would have a long happy-ever-after.

As moments ticked by and still no-one was talking, I thought I was going to explode.

"Okay," I said. "I'm about to go crazy here. Neither one of you seems to want to start, so I will. Is this about the Volturi?"

The surprise in Alice's eyes told me I'd guessed wrong.

"No," she said, and turned quickly back to Edward, her head swivelling in one of those lightning fast vampire moves that was at once so familiar, and so foreign.

"Is something happening with the Volturi? Or is this about the Tinsley woman?"

"You know about Marion?" I asked.

"I told her." Edward said. "I showed her what I've found but..."

"I don't recognise her," Alice jumped in. "Or anything about her. I can't _see_ a connection."

"Oh, okay." So if not the Volturi... "Why are you here, Alice?"

Her eyes flicked to Edward. Her bottom lip trembled.

"It's the vision," she said, her voice a whisper.

I looked up at Edward, my thoughts suspended, my heart on hold, while I waited for him to say something.

"Alice says it's gone into overdrive."

Overdrive? "What does that mean?"

"It's coming closer," she said. "It feels imminent."

"Oh..."

Edward gave me a reassuring squeeze. "Wanna sit down?" he asked.

I nodded and while we sank onto the sofa, Alice took the arm chair.

"I'm seeing it all the time," she said quietly. "It's practically on a constant loop in my head." She was leaning forward, and somehow that seemed to lend weight, and urgency, to her words. I swallowed, but my mouth had gone dry.

"It's more vivid, too," she said. "I can see more detail, it's becoming brighter, sharper, like..."

"Like it's coming closer." I finished the sentence for her.

Another shiver ran through me and Edward pulled me into his arms, holding me close; like he'd never let me go.

"That's why I've come." Alice went on, quietly. "I don't think you have much time."

That knot in my stomach dropped to my toes. And it took my heart with it.

Edward looked away, focusing on the bookshelves it seemed while his hold on me impossibly tightened.

"Okay, um..." I tried to clear my mind, find a path in the swirl of panic and chaos that were my thoughts. "What can you see now? What are the new details?"

Alice hesitated. She glanced at Edward, as if seeking permission.

"Me, Alice," I snapped. "You're talking to me right now. Not Edward."

I had her attention once more, a look of fresh surprise on her features.

"Of course. Sorry." She took a deep breath. "You're in a room. A large room, like a hall. I can see now that the walls are a light colour, cream. There are old-fashioned cornices. I can't see the whole room, just the part where you're standing, but it's on fire." She stopped and took another breath, as if to steady herself. "You're there, you're panicked. You can't get out and...you were always screaming, there was always horror in your face, but now I can see...you're screaming Edward's name."

She paused and the pain in her eyes hurt to see. "You're screaming for him to save you and..."

Her voice caught.

"And he can't." My own voice was flat.

"The flames are out of control," she said, so quietly I almost didn't hear.

I felt a faint shudder run through Edward's body and nestled closer to him, as much to comfort myself, as him.

"Is Edward in the vision?"  
"No."

I nodded, trying to keep on that narrow path I'd cleared; trying to look at things logically.

"Do you actually see me...die?"

Edward made a low sound in his throat, something like a groan and I squeezed his hand tightly.

"No," Alice said. "I just see the flames get higher and higher until I can't see you anymore. They swallow you."

"But you don't actually see how it ends?"

She blinked, as if the answer was obvious. "No," she said. "I don't actually see how it ends. But judging from what I _do_ see, there aren't a lot of options."

"You can't know that, though. You can't see who's outside the room, or what else is happening in the room. Can you?"

Alice's beautiful face creased softly in a frown. "No," she said.

"Your visions are open to interpretation, aren't they?"

"The look I see on your face doesn't leave much room for interpretation."

I nodded, point taken. "Can you tell where this room, or hall, is? Are there any clues?"

"Edward's asked me all that." She smiled sadly at her brother. "It's just the bare walls with the high ceiling."

And the old fashioned cornices.

I racked my brain, trying to find something familiar in her description. Something to connect with. But I came up empty.

A sudden weariness stole over me. It came from nowhere and settled deep in my bones and all I wanted to do was sleep. Curl up with Edward and close my eyes and forget about all this. It was too much to take in. Too much to worry about. My brain had decided it was full and wasn't taking in anymore information.

Edward was still holding me close. He was so silent, but the flex and twitch in his jaw told me everything.

I stroked his face and his eyes fluttered closed as he turned into my palm and nuzzled.

Across from me, Alice's pain was etched on her beautiful face, and for a moment I could see all of her hundred-plus years.

Bizarrely, it was like looking at a stranger. We'd been so close, but the Alice I remembered was not the woman in front of me. This was a different Alice, her fears and feelings clearly on display. It was a stark contrast to that familiar bright, bubbly performance a few minutes ago and I wondered how much of what I saw in Forks was real, and how much was a mask.

"There's more," she whispered.

"Oh?" Of course there's more. "What else?"

"Edward's vision is back."

My eyes widened

"Edward?" This was new information but suddenly my brain was awake and alert and ready for more.

"Edward?" I turned to him quickly. "What is it? A different vision?"

"It's a long corridor," Edward murmured. "The first time Alice saw it was eight years ago, just after my change."

"The corridor used to be empty," she said. "Just a long stretch of hall with lots of doors off each side. But now there's a figure standing at the end and I can't see their face, but from the back...I'm sure it's Edward." She rubbed her hands over her arms, like she was cold, even though that was impossible. "I hadn't seen it for years, but it came back a few weeks ago and then last week the figure appeared. I don't know what it means," Alice said. "But I don't like it."

"Do you think they're connected? The visions?"

"We don't know," Edward said, and kissed the top of my head.

"I know you told me not to interfere..." Alice was speaking to Edward, her eyes imploring him to understand. "But it's different now. Something is racing towards you, something dangerous and big, but I don't know what it means."

She was almost crying and I felt a great surge of compassion for the little vampire who'd once been like a sister to me. I went and knelt by the comfy chair and wrapped my arms round her.

"It's okay," I said.

She welcomed my hug, her arms going round me gently, and though her body was hard, I could feel the softness of her heart.

"I've missed you so much," she whispered.

I realised then that I'd missed her too.

"And this isn't about me trying to be controlling," she said, pulling back and looking at her brother. "I just don't want anyone to be hurt."

"Sharing information is one thing," Edward said, voice hard as he dragged his hands through his hair. Then he leant forward, dropping his head into his hands."But now you've shared it, you have to let Bella and me work out what we do with that information. You can't manipulate situations..."

"I'm not manip..."

Edward's head snapped up. "Yes, you are!"

"But if you're not going to listen..."

"I have listened! I've done nothing but listen!"

They were glaring again and I wondered what Edward meant about manipulation. Then Alice's bottom lip trembled again.

"I love you both," she whispered. "I hate it being like this."

Edward sighed. It was loud and theatrical and then he was on his feet, coming closer and holding out his hand to her.

"I know," he said.

She stood and pulled him into a hug that made him gasp as his ribs cracked.

"Easy," he wheezed.

"Sorry." She pulled back and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her silk shirt, even though she had no tears.

He smiled softly.

"I love you too," he said.

She hugged him again, more carefully this time.

"Do the others know?" I asked. "Do they know you're here?"

"Jasper knows," Alice said. "I decided not to tell Carlisle and Esme anything until I'd talked to you both. But I know, if they're needed, they'll be here. Jasper too."

"And there's no danger to Rosalie and Emmett?"

"No," Edward shook his head. "There isn't."

I was only a danger to myself, no-one else, and for that I was grateful. Although, Edward's corridor vision was definitely a concern. And then, as I thought over the last few minutes, something occurred to me.

"Oh! Oh..."

"Bella?" Edward grabbed my hand.

"The corridor." I looked at Alice. "Can you draw it?"

She blinked at me. "Sure," she said. "You think you might know it?"

"Maybe."

Edward grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen from his satchel on the kitchen counter and Alice sketched out her vision. With each stroke of ink, my thought was confirmed.

"It's the museum," I said. "Next to the viking exhibition, they were getting another display ready. I had a look while I was waiting that day, and it was a long hallway, dark, with doors just like this. It kind of creeped me out." I frowned at the memory, but that made me wonder something else.

"Are you sure Marion isn't part of this?"

"Alice can't see a connection." Edward had been studying the drawing but now he lifted his gaze to mine. "And I can't find one." He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "But I'm going to do some more investigating anyway. In light of all this I'm not taking any risks." He turned to Alice. "Can you draw the other vision? Bella might recognise it."

Alice sketched a few lines on the other side of the page. It was only the corner of a room, and she tactfully left out the flames. She detailed the cornices beautifully, elaborate swirls and leaves and flowers, but I didn't recognise anything. That corner could have been anywhere.

"No," I murmured. "No clue."

Edward pulled me to him and, wrapped in his arms, with his broad chest beneath my cheek, I felt like nothing could ever harm me.

"I'll keep you safe," he whispered.

"And you'll stay away from the museum, just in case."

"Deal," he said and his lips grazed my temple.

I closed my eyes, nestled snug against him, and wondered what we'd do now. I had work in the morning. So did Edward. Our lives couldn't just stop. And I didn't want to live in fear.

I'd been in danger before, when James lured me to the ballet studio. I'd been in danger when Victoria had tried to kill me. My body bore the scars of countless accidents and stumbles. I remembered Tyler's van racing towards me. Those low-life bastards in Port Angeles. Coming off my motorcycle when I was riding with Jacob.

There'd been other incidents in the years since Forks.

I'd almost got myself trapped scuba diving in a shipwreck. My car had run off the road in a hail storm, giving me concussion and a new respect for air bags. I'd broken my wrist, and almost my neck, falling down some stairs at college.

I was a danger magnet.

The world was basically out to get me and had been since I could walk.

Alice's vision was just going to have to take a number.

"You know what?"

I lifted my head from Edward's chest and found two pairs of eyes staring at me intently.

"What?" Edward whispered.

"I've faced worse than an overgrown barbeque and I've survived."

He blinked, confused for a moment, then a slow, hesitant smile spread across his face.

"I guess you have."

"And I'm going sofa shopping on Thursday night after work. I have to replace the one squashed by the bathtub. Wanna come? You'll probably be spending us much time on it as me, so I figure you should get a say in the choice. Especially with these long legs and all six feet four of you."

His smile faded, quickly replaced by horror. He stepped back, holding me at arms length.

"You're not planning on moving back to your place? Bella..."

I held up a finger, asking him to wait, while I went to my bag.

"Here." I took the key from the inside zipper pocket and pressed it into his palm. "I had this cut for you today."

He stared down at it. "The key to your flat." There was some emotion in his voice I couldn't quite grasp as he stroked his thumb over the shiny piece of silver.

"Uh huh. I told you you'd get one. Remember?"

He nodded. "I remember."

Exhaling slowly, he sat on the sofa again, frowning, his attention focused on the key.

Alice cleared her throat.

"Um, Bella, you really can't..."

"Doesn't involve you, Alice," Edward said quickly, quietly.

"But she can't possibly be alone, you can't..."

"She won't be alone." Edward shot her a glare and she stopped. He shut his eyes and sighed.

A few feet away, Alice was stressing. I could feel her anxiety.

"So it's alright now?" she said. Her voice was just this side of shrill. "Bella's decided she can fight off flames and you've got a key to her apartment so everything's fine?"

I walked to Alice, and took her hand in mine.

"The vision is something to be wary of," I said gently. "But it's not set in stone, is it? You've said that yourself, that things can change."

"It _will_ happen. I've seen it. It'll kill you and destroy Edward and...you can't be together. If he doesn't have the courage to leave you, you'll have to leave him!"

I dropped her hand.

"No," I said, a new sort of panic gripping me. "No, that's not going to happen."

"I want you to be happy together, I really do," she said, and the agony in her voice was clear. "To have you back, as my friend, maybe my sister, would be my greatest wish, but this won't end well if you stay together and I'd rather have you out of my life but know you were alive and happy than..." She shook her head, unable to finish.

"But it's not about what you want." Over on the sofa, Edward slowly lifted his head. "We've already had this discussion, Alice. Just an hour ago."

His voice was low and dark and held a warning.

"But an hour ago you weren't exchanging keys and buying furniture..."

"I told you before to drop it." He stood up. "And I'm telling you again."

"Ignoring it won't change anything! Playing house and choosing sofas won't put the fire out!"

"I am _not_ having this conversation!"

Alice's eyes flashed. She curled her delicate hands into fists at her side. Her jaw hardened.

"How can you be so _selfish?_ This is Bella's life we're talking about, Edward! And yours, because I know what this will do to you if she dies! You mightn't be a vampire, but you're _still a danger_ to her and I wish, more than anything, that things were different but _they're not_! If you love her, you'll _leave_!"

"Enough!" he roared and his face looked like murder. "I've told you, I'm not leaving. And Bella is not going to die. Because _I won't allow it_."

Alice bit back a tearless sob.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered. "Either of you."

Edward hung his head, defeat seemed to wash over him.

The scene I'd just witnessed had been shattering. Heartbreaking. I couldn't move, frozen to the spot by the shock of watching brother and sister eviscerate each other with their words.

I realised I was shaking and Edward must have realised too because suddenly his hand was around mine, holding tight.

"I can promise you one thing, Alice." He spoke quietly now, but with such conviction and truth, it stilled my breath. "If there's anything on this earth that can keep Bella safe, it's _me._ " He rubbed his hand over his face. Alice was biting her lip, her eyes anxious. "Why can't you work with us?" he asked. "Why can't you help us fight this thing, instead of wanting to tear us apart?"

Alice blinked, her mouth popping open slightly. I could practically see the light bulb go on over her head.

My own jaw dropped. Somehow, we'd all missed the obvious, until now.

"Help you?" Alice said.

"I'd rather have you on our side, than against us."

She stared for a moment, her face a mask, but her eyes vivid with emotion. She glanced at me.

"Please?" I said.

Then she nodded slowly. "Okay. I guess...I don't know how, but okay. Whatever I can do, I'll do it. Of course I will." She looked at me, a small, shaky smile tugging at her lips.

My eyes filled. Edward's shoulders sagged.

"Thank you," he said. Then he stepped forward and pulled Alice into a hug. She clung to him. "Thank you," he said again.

I left them to it, disappearing onto the back deck to give them a moment. There was a chill in the night air and I breathed in deeply, letting it cleanse me. Letting it clear my mind and my heart.

I watched them through the glass for a while, talking now, reconnecting. I knew everything Alice had said, and done, had come from love, misguided though it might have been. It made me smile to see them now, and I took another deep breath as Edward looked up, smiled, and motioned for me to come back inside.

Alice came to hug me.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry." When she pulled back she looked me over. "You always have been the bravest human I know."

At that point, Edward's stomach growled loudly. He looked mildly embarrassed. Alice started to giggle, and so did I.

"See?" I said. "Life goes on."

"I'll never get used to hearing that from him," she said to me.

"Yeah, I know, I'm just glad it's not always me anymore."

Then Alice threw her arms around me again, so fiercely that I stumbled.

"Careful!" Edward said, and I felt his steadying hand on my back.

"Sorry." Alice stepped back. "I have to get used to the human hug again." She sighed, her own relief echoing my own, and squeezed my hand.

"It's going to be fine," I said. "It really is, because I'm not accepting anything less."

Then I headed for the kitchen, needing to feel normal again.

"How about bolognese?" I asked Edward, opening the fridge and taking out some ingredients. "And don't tell me you're not hungry because your stomach just outed you."

Edward smiled and sighed and seemed to relax a little more. It seemed this normal, every day routine of dinner and grumbling stomachs was changing the mood and bringing some perspective.

"Sounds good," he said. "I'll chop the onion, you don't get the pieces small enough."

He started for the kitchen too, then stopped.

"Alice, when did you last hunt?"

"A week ago," she said. "There's not a lot of selection here, is there?" Her brow puckered in a soft frown.

That was something I'd never thought of. Metropolitan Sydney didn't offer many options for a vegetarian vampire.

"Well, there are deer down south," Edward said. "In the Royal National Park."

Alice came closer, pulling up a stool at the kitchen counter.

"How far?" she asked.

"About ninety minutes by car. There aren't huge numbers of them, and you'd need to dispose of the carcases carefully."

"Okay. Good to know." She nodded, her eyes shifting between us. "This is what humans do, isn't it?" she said. "You keep going."

"Yes," I said. "We do."

The remote control for the music system was next to the fruit bowl so I grabbed it and hit 'play'.

 _Personal Jesus_ came on and I smiled at Edward. It was a favourite of his. Alice grinned and clapped her hands.

"I love this!" she said. "Oh, Edward, remember the prom?"

What prom? I thought back to the Spring Dance in Forks, and this song definitely hadn't been played.

"1992," Edward explained, seeing my confusion. "Senior year at Halifax High. I lost a bet to Emmett."

"I thought you didn't lose bets?"

He held up a finger. "Only once," he said. "And the loser had to do whatever the winner decided. Emmett decided I was going to line dance, solo, at the prom."

I snickered. "Oh no..."

"He was _furious_ ," Alice said, grinning. "Edward, I mean. Not Emmett, _he_ was in stitches about it."

I could just imagine.

"Did you do it?" I asked.

"I did," he said. "In my own way."

"Oh?"

Edward put down the knife, and pulled me into his arms as I protested.

"But I can't dance!"  
"Yes you can." He winked. "Come on, just go with it, Bella."

There was no way I could resist him, with that smile and those eyes, so I went with it.

He moved smoothly, easily, his body in perfect rhythm with the music as he danced us round the kitchen while Alice twirled around the living room.

"This isn't line dancing," I said, laughing as he slowly spun me twice beneath his arm.

"No, it's not." He beamed. "This is much more fun."

He pulled me close again and we shuffled our way to the fridge.

"So tell me about the prom."

He sighed, and dipped me.

"I wore my long black coat," he said as he brought me up again. "And my sunglasses."

I bit back a laugh. "Really?"

"Uh huh. Wasn't planning on making eye contact with anyone."

"You must have turned heads. I mean, more than usual."

"Oh, he did," Alice chimed in, sounding like her old self. "He strode across the gym like he owned it and everyone got out of his way. It was like the parting of the Red Sea."

"That's an exaggeration," Edward said.

"You know it isn't."

"What happened next?" I asked, trying to keep them on track.

Edward smirked as we did another turn around the kitchen.

"Emmett never said _what_ song I had to dance to. I knew from his thoughts he was thinking of _Achy Breaky Heart_." I felt a faint shudder run through him. "But _Personal Jesus_ also had the right rhythm. So I went up to the DJ, made my request, then walked into the middle of the floor and danced."

"It was amazing!" Alice giggled. She started doing some steps, back and forth, side to side, and I wondered if she was re-creating her brother's prom performance. "He was so smooth. Jaws dropped. Including Emmett's."

"I wish I'd seen it. Did you do the whole song?"

"I did."

He let me go and danced his way over to his sister. He fell in line with her and they grinned at each other as they danced back and forth.

"And when it finished I walked out again."

"Everyone applauded," Alice added as they shuffled and kicked and turned in perfect time. "Except Emmett."

"That's because he was too busy planning revenge," Edward said.

"Revenge? For what?"

"For keeping my dignity."

He left Alice and came back to me, taking me in his arms and twirling me past the refrigerator.

"He was planning to egg the Vanquish. I had to rent a garage and hide it for three months."

The song changed. Alice came back to sit on the stool and Edward dipped me once more before we returned to the bolognese.

"Those were fun times," Alice said. Her brilliant smile faltered. I could practically see the sadness settle over her again.

"We can still have fun," Edward said. "We had fun just now, or didn't you notice?"

She blinked at him, like it hadn't occurred to her.

"I suppose we did," she said and her smile took on a bit more life.

As I moved past Edward I gave him a friendly bump with my hip, in time with the music. The movement jolted him. And he sliced his finger open with the knife.

Blood spilled over his skin, onto the counter.

Alice hissed. She pushed back from the counter and was on the other side of the room before I could blink.

My heart was in my throat, beating so fast and hard, it hurt. I went to wipe the counter top clean but Edward grabbed me with his free hand and pushed me behind him, hard up against his back.

Then he grabbed the dishcloth and wrapped it round his bloodied hand.

He and Alice never took their eyes off each other.

She was holding her breath, I could tell. Her eyes were wide, a chilling mix of fear and blood lust. Her lip curled back slightly from her teeth.

Edward took his keys from his pocket and threw them across the room. She snatched them out of the air in a blur of movement.

"Take my car," he said. "Royal National Park, use the GPS."

She nodded and was gone before I saw her move.

"And keep to the left!" Edward called.

There was a squeal of tyres and Edward turned, crushing me hard against his chest.

"It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay."

"I know, I know. Are you alright?"

"I'm good."

"No, you're not. Let me take a look at that hand."

"Bella..."

"No talking. Come on."

I led him to the bathroom and he leant against the vanity, watching me while I unwrapped the dishcloth.

"It doesn't look too deep. It's clean, it's..."

"The smell doesn't bother you?" he said, surprise in his eyes.

"Huh, I guess not." I hadn't noticed, but while I could smell his blood, it didn't affect me the way blood usually did. "Maybe because it's yours."

I started shaking then and Edward's arms went round me.

"Bella, love..."

"What just happened? I mean, everything was tense and angry, and then we were happy and friends again, and then... _what just happened ?_ " I shook my head. "It's too weird," I whispered.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. It's just...I can't get my head round anything. And the vision's the least of it," I said, stepping back and wiping at my eyes. "I don't know whether to be worried or scared or go dancing."

I took a slow, steadying, breath.

"And then the blood."

I took his hand in mine, cradling it.

I'd seen Alice like that once before, the night of my birthday. But this, tonight, was different, because this time it was Edward who'd been in danger.

"I'm so sorry," Edward whispered.

"Has that ever happened before?"

"I told you about the first time I shaved?"

"Yeah," I said, remembering. "You cleared the house except for Carlisle."

He nodded and stroked his hand over my hair.

"Were you scared just now?"

"No."

"Alice must feel pretty bad, especially after you've just made up."

"She'll feel bad," Edward sighed. "But it'll be alright. She knows I understand. We'll sort it out."

I shook my head and sighed. "You know what?"

"What?"

I looked up at him. "Right now I just want to forget everything, visions, vampires. Right now I just want a bath. With you. Can we do that?"

He smiled the most tender smile I'd ever seen, and lowered his head, resting his forehead against mine.

"We can absolutely do that."

-0-

Edward made love to me in the warm water, with the moon shining in through the glass. He was tender and slow and with each move of his body I felt the stress of the hours before, fall away. There was nothing but him, and warmth, and the moon and I knew, as his body trembled and I cried his name, that nothing would ever part us.

Alice might have visions, but my heart and soul told me otherwise.

Afterwards, he carried me to the bed and we fell asleep, curled round each other, fitting together like two perfect pieces. I fell asleep listening to the steady, comforting, beat of his heart.

-0-

It was still dark when I woke and before I opened my eyes, I knew something was wrong.

The bed felt cold.

Edward was gone.

I sat up, blinking into the darkness, eyes straining to find him as I fumbled for the bedside lamp. My heart was racing, my blood cold - for a fleeting moment I was back in that forest, trying to find him, and I pushed down the panic that was trying to take over me.

"Ed..."

"I'm here."

His voice came to me through the dark and then his hand was round mine and my eyes adjusted and I could see him.

"Where were you?"

"Bathroom." He kissed me softly. "Are you okay? You're shaking again."

Was I?  
Oh yeah, I was.

He seemed to understand my fear as he climbed onto the bed, leant back against the headboard and pulled me into his lap, cradling me there.

"I'm not going anywhere, Bella."

I nodded and blinked back some tears.

"I know."

He sighed and his body tensed a little.

"We said no secrets, so I'll be honest with you. I did think about leaving. When Alice arrived and told me the vision was basically imminent. I thought, if my leaving took you out of danger, I should do it, whatever it cost me, I should take myself out of your life, so you would have a life."

My heart twisted in my chest, my stomach clenched.

"It lasted for maybe half a second. And in that half a second I was quietly raging at the universe, asking why it brought us back together if it was only going to tear us apart, then I came to my senses. I realised it's not tearing us apart. Quite the opposite."

I looked up at him. Looked into his eyes that, even in the dark, were bright and brilliant and shining with love.

"You are the most important thing in my world," he whispered, brushing his lips against my hair. "I tried to live my life without you, when I thought I was being noble and doing the right thing. That's what gave me the strength to do it, because I thought I was saving you. I thought, by making a life for myself, I was giving you yours. But my love for you never changed." He slipped his fingers between mine. "Loving you is like being six feet four." He smiled. "It's like having green eyes. It's part of me." He stroked his thumb over mine. "I used to think we weren't meant to be, but I was wrong. And I know I was wrong because...you love me too."

"Yes," I whispered. "I do."

He smiled again and it was brilliant.

"I told you I'd fight fate for you, but I think I've been fighting fate all along. I'd just been doing it wrong." He lifted our joined hands and kissed my knuckles. "I think fate's been throwing us in each other's paths, and I've been fighting it because I thought I was keeping you safe. Do you realise that, even if you hadn't found my name in that database, we still would have seen each other at the museum the night of the ceiling launch?"

That had never occurred to me. I mean, I knew that I would have seen him there, but I'd never thought of it from this perspective. That we would have met each other anyway, even without my stalking.

"I think fate threw the database in there just to be sure." He winked, then sighed as he looked down at our hands.

"What I'm trying to say, very badly, is that I believe we're meant to be together. And if we're meant to be together then my leaving you isn't the answer. I'm meant to be here, with you, every day of our lives. So Alice has had it all wrong. And whatever danger arises you can be bloody sure I won't let anything happen to you."

My heart felt too big for my chest as I reached up and touched his cheek.

"Of course, if you were to feel differently - if you wanted to leave me..."

"You're going to say you wouldn't stand in my way?"

"Oh, I'd totally stand in your way."

I laughed and he grinned.

"You'd have to get a bull dozer and a wrecking ball to move me." He nuzzled my cheek, smiling still. "But if it was what you really wanted, ultimately, after much pleading, I'd step aside."

He kissed me then. Long and slow and sweet. Then he pulled back and pressed his forehead to mine.

"Seriously Bella, if you feel safer without me..."

"I don't," I said quickly. "All along I've felt that if I'm with you, everything will be fine."

"Then we're agreed."

I nestled against him.

"Maybe you _save_ me. In the vision." I glanced up. "I think that's important to remember we don't know the ending. It's like leaving the movie halfway through."

Edward's arms squeezed round me, tight.

"Well, I'm staying until the credits roll," he said. "And even then they'll have to kick me out of the theatre."

-0-

Alice was back.

As I emerged from the bathroom I heard her and Edward talking in the kitchen.

"Bella..." She looked embarrassed, shame-faced, as I walked into the room. "I'm sorry about last night. I'm usually a lot more controlled."

"Don't be sorry." I shook my head and went to kiss her cheek. "It's all good. Don't say another word about it."

Then I went and kissed Edward. He was already dressed, looking gorgeous in suit and tie with slightly damp hair from the shower.

"I wasn't really at my best yesterday," Alice said.

"We all have bad days," I said. "And I've seen worse."

"Mm..." she mused, frowning. "You probably have. Even so, on a bad day you don't try to rip someone's throat out."

Edward snorted. "You had no chance," he said.

Alice narrowed her gaze. "I think we both know that's not right."

"You forget, I know all your moves." He sipped his coffee. "You always go sideways, to the right."

He cocked his head to the right in a very less-than-human way; it raised goose-bumps on my skin.

Alice pursed her lips. "True," she said. "You might be able to dodge, but I'm faster. Anyway," she waved a dismissive hand. "Lets not find out."

Then she smiled, and took a deep breath.

"I've been thinking," she said to me. "About the cornices."

"Oh?"  
I looked at Edward, who nodded.

"I think she might be onto something," he said as finished his coffee and put the cup in the dishwasher. Such a domestic former vampire.

"It's very distinctive," Alice explained. "So I'm going to try to find it." She danced over to the sofa and picked up a laptop from the coffee table. "I'll be spending my day in research," she said. "And I've got Jasper doing the same thing back home. Between the two of us we should be able to track down a manufacturer and from there we can maybe trace who's bought it. And if we find that out, we can narrow down the location..."

"And we can avoid it," Edward said. He came up behind me and kissed my neck.

"Wow," I said. "That sounds like a plan."

"Well, it's a start. It's something," Alice said. "Now shoo, both of you. I need to get to work and so do you."

I walked Edward to the front door, and his goodbye kiss was longer than usual. Not that I minded.

"What was that about?" I asked, breathless, when he finally let me go.

"Just making myself clear," he said. "Leaving no doubt."

I smirked a little.

"You did that last night, when we talked. And then afterwards." He'd pulled me down into the sheets and his love making had been passionate, fierce,as if each movement of his body, every thrust, dispelled that vision, destroyed another fear.

"So, yeah, I know where you're at," I said. "But I'll take the morning refresher too."

He smiled, kissed my cheek. "See you tonight," he said. "And be careful."

-0-

He texted me three times before lunch, and called me twice in the afternoon.

"You're very attentive today." I smiled, pushing aside a petri dish.

"Just checking in. What are you doing?"

"I'm about to look at some wriggly organisms under a microscope. What about you?"

"I'm about to have a meeting with some wriggly organisms."

I laughed.

"You really hate meetings don't you?"

"With a passion. So everything's good with you?"

"Yep. No change in the hour since you last rang." I sighed. "Edward, I'm okay. I'm not even using a Bunsen burner."

There was silence and I rolled my eyes.

"You hadn't thought about that, had you?"

"No, but now that I am..."

"Edward..."

"Yes?"  
"It'll be alright. _I'll_ bealright. But I should get back to work, some of us are busy, you know."

He chuckled. "Okay, but before you go, Marion Tinsley's house is up for lease. I've made an appointment with the real estate agent to see it today, after work. D'you want to come?"

His suggestion was unexpected.

"I thought you were going to try to find where she'd gone."

"I'll do that too, but there might be something in her apartment that will give us a clue. So I'm pretending to be a prospective tenant."

"Then I'll be there. Edward..." An idea was forming in my mind as I spoke. "Do you think we could ask Alice to come? She might be able to pick up something we could miss? You know, super senses and all that."

"I've been thinking the same thing," Edward said. "If you're happy for her to come, then the three of us can check out Marion's place tonight."

"Sounds like a plan. Now I really have to go. My wrigglers won't wait forever."

"Neither will mine," Edward sighed. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Be caref..."

"Don't say it!"

He chuckled. "I'll say goodbye then."

I grinned and slipped my phone away. I pushed the petri dish back and forth a bit as I thought about our conversation, and our plans for the evening.

I was curious about what we might find at Marion's apartment, hopeful we might find some sort of clue to her departure, or Alice's vision, but I was also, for some reason, strangely anxious.

I shook off the feeling and slid my wriggly organisms under the microscope. As I watched the activity through the lens, all the little microbes buzzing about, I felt myself relax.

You always know where you are with microbes.

My phone beeped a second later. Another text from Edward.

Just two words.

 _Be careful_

I grinned. "Stupid over-protective ex-vampire."

-0-

 **A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and kind words. I'm answering as many as I can, but if I haven't replied to yours, please know that I appreciate it more than I can say : ) xx**

 **Some readers have expressed interest in my original work, so for those who might be interested, you can find me on Amazon as Suzanne Carroll. My novel "Over The Edge" is a romantic comedy set in Sydney, and "Starcrossed" is a novella about love lost and love found.**

 **This chapter is unbeta'd, and it's late at night (again – why is it always close to midnight when I post?), so any mistakes I've missed, are mine : )**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

It was just after dusk when we pulled up outside Marion Tinsley's townhouse.

From inside the neighbour's house, a dog was frantically barking and the real estate agent, Kevin, told us to ignore it while we shook hands by the gate and did the introductions.

"It doesn't normally do that," Kevin said, chuckling. Then he did a double-take when Alice got out of the car.

"Hi." She flashed him a dazzling smile before darting a quick look at the house next door.

She looked quite conservative, but still gorgeous, in a tailored shirt and pants, and with her hair styled more smoothly than usual, she could pass for her early twenties.

This was her 'dealing with adults' look, she'd told me on the way here.

"Er, hi, um, hello." Kevin was flustered and blushing and didn't offer to shake her hand. Maybe that was her plan. No cold skin to raise questions or goosebumps.

"So, um..." Kevin cleared his throat. "Shall we take a look inside?"

From the outside, the townhouse was modern and well-kept with a small courtyard and a red front door.

Edward made a discreet check of the letter box as we walked past, then shook his head. There was nothing there.

"It's a good neighbourhood," Kevin was saying over his shoulder as we walked up the path. "Good schools, plenty of shops, good public transport."

The neighbour's dog burst out the front door and started running circles in the yard. Alice shot a look at Edward, then ducked her head, trying to shrink away it seemed, though of course it made no difference. The barking became even more frantic, then a man's voice called out.

"Bozo! Cut it out!"

But Bozo didn't cut it out. Instead, the barking changed, becoming more of a desperate howl, as we approached the front door.

"Bozo! Geez, what's got into you lately? Get in here!"

Kevin gave us a shaky smile.

"I promise you, I've taken a lot of people through the property and that hasn't happened before. I didn't even know they had a dog until now, that's how quiet it normally is round here. Very quiet."

"I'm sure it is." Edward smiled.

The door swung open and Kevin lead the way into an open-plan living area. Behind him, the three of us stopped and, in a movement that looked like it might have been choreographed, simultaneously looked up at the ceiling. Three pairs of eyes, checking out the cornices.

Alice giggled, I smiled, and Edward sighed.

"Seems we were all wondering the same thing..." Alice murmured.

"Great minds think alike," Edward said quietly, taking my hand. "I never thought a plain white ceiling would make me so happy."

The ceiling was indeed plain and white. Not a flowery vine to be found. I wouldn't be facing down an inferno in here.

Ahead of us, Kevin was running easily through his spiel.

"So, it's ten years old. Two bedrooms, ensuite bathroom plus main..."

"It comes furnished?" Edward asked as we took in the sofa, arm chairs and dining table.

"Yes." Kevin rubbed the hand over the back of his neck. "The previous tenant didn't want to take anything with her, so the place comes fully furnished. You can keep the furniture, or if you want to use your own we can have it put in storage."

"That's unusual," Edward said. "She must have been in a hurry."

His comments sounded innocent enough, just a casual observation, but his hand clutched mine a little more tightly.

Kevin nodded. "Job transfer overseas, I think it was. Too much trouble to sell everything or ship it over, so it was easier for her to leave it." He frowned. "Makes things a bit difficult for us though because most people have their own stuff. Do you? Have your own furniture, that is?"

"Er, yes."

Kevin nodded. "Same with the others I've shown the place to," he sighed. "Might be easier to just take it all out. Anyway, let me show you the kitchen. Dishwasher, marble bench tops..."

He started opening cupboards, talking about German-engineered door hinges and soft-close drawers.

Beside me, Edward tensed suddenly.

"What is it?" I whispered.

He shook his head. "Tell you later."

Then he turned to look at Alice on his other side. Her eyes were hard, her mouth set. She gave Edward the faintest of nods.

"Gas stove, double-door fridge-freezer, the floor tiles are Italian..."

"I'm going to look at the bedrooms," Alice said, her smile bright and happy as she headed for the stairs.

"Oh, sure..." Kevin blinked, watching her, taking an uncertain couple of steps as if to follow. "They both have built-in wardrobes...why don't I show you..."

"What are the terms of the lease? " Edward was obviously aiming for distraction but Kevin was focussed on the petite brunette as she disappeared from view and didn't answer.

"Is that a cockroach?" Edward asked, and suddenly he had Kevin's complete attention. While the agent started talking about pest inspections, I followed Alice upstairs.

I found her in the master bedroom with her head in the empty closet.

"What on earth..."

"I'm isolating Marion Tinsley's scent," she said. "So I'll recognise it again."

She stepped back, sliding the mirrored doors closed.

There was an urgency about her that made my stomach drop to my toes.

"Alice, what's wrong? I know there's something..."

She put her finger to her lips. "They're coming. Look natural."

The tight lines of her face magically disappeared and she was beaming again as Kevin walked through the door. Edward was behind him.

"So, what do you think?" Kevin asked.

"It's lovely!" Alice chimed. "Are the carpets new? It's so luxurious."

"Just laid last year." And it seemed to give him great happiness to tell her this. "Have you checked out the bathrooms? All new shower curtains."

We did a quick tour of the bathrooms and then Edward asked Kevin if he'd give us a moment to discuss.

"Sure," Kevin said, and went into the kitchen to check his emails while we gathered in the ensuite.

"Someone's been here," Edward said as soon as he closed the door. "And they weren't human. Am I right, Alice?" His voice was hard, his words clipped. Alice nodded, biting her bottom lip.

"Vampires," she whispered, leaning back against the sink and gripping its edges. "I think...I think it might be the Volturi."

Edward paled, the colour draining from his face until he was whiter than his sister. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be. It's the scent."

He groaned, and sank onto the edge of the bath. The plastic curtain, decorated with blue dolphins and starfish, swirled round him and he pushed it back roughly.

"How old?" he asked.

"Older than Carlisle. I think...older than the Denalis."

Edward dropped his head into his hands.

I'd only understood half of what had been said, but I recognised the fear. And I knew that word, _Volturi_. My blood turned to ice and I sank down slowly onto the toilet.

"How recent?" Edward's voice was muffled.

"Yesterday? Maybe the day before?"

"How many?"

"Three."

Edward exhaled sharply and rubbed his hands over his face. "Do you think we should bring the others in on this?"

Alice nodded. "They can be here in forty eight hours. Hopefully we won't need them but...just in case." She shrugged.

I was getting more and more lost in the conversation.

"What's happening?" I asked, looking from one to the other. "Is Marion part of the Volturi after all?"

Edward shook his head. "No, it's as I always thought, she's running from them. But they've come after her."

"She was scared." Alice's nose twitched delicately "I can smell the fear."

"So, what does this all mean? Are _we_ in danger."

Edward raised his head and smiled a slow, sad, smile.

"No," he said, reaching for me. "We're not and if we play this right, we won't be."

I stood up, taking his hand. He wrapped his arms around me and rested his head against my stomach. He looked up at me with ancient eyes.

"I know you've probably got a million questions but can it wait until we're in the car? Because this really isn't a conversation I want to have in someone else's bathroom."

We farewelled Kevin, told him we'd be in touch, and started down the path while he stayed behind to turn off all the lights.

Bozo was barking again. Alice hurried to the car and got in, just as a door banged open as the animal's owner came storming out.

"Bozo! You bloody mongrel, cut it out! Sorry!" He called out to us over the low fence. "He's not normally like this. Just started carrying on last night."

He grabbed Bozo's collar, and the dog began to calm down, whether from his master's presence, or Alice's absence, I wasn't sure.

"Last night?" Edward said, going closer to the fence.

"Yeah, woke us up, barking and howling at nothing. You thinking of moving in?" He nodded at the house.

"We're considering it," Edward said. "It's a nice place. The last tenant left the furniture, which is a bonus. The agent said she transferred overseas."

"I wouldn't know," the man said. "Marion kept to herself. Real quiet type. But listen, if you're thinking of moving in, I can guarantee this performance by my dog won't be a regular thing. He's normally a docile old thing, Bozo. I'm surprised he's got the energy for this at his age."

Edward smiled. "I'm sure he'll settle down," he said. Then his face darkened as he turned away, caught me by the arm, and hurried us to the car.

-0-

The dashboard light cast pale shadows over Edward's face as he drove us home. He almost looked like a vampire again, especially with the hard set of his jaw. He drove one-handed, fingers white-knuckle tight on the steering wheel while his other hand held mine. He never let go, not even to change gears. And he changed gears a lot, moving through them rapidly as he sped, just a little too fast, back to his house on the beach.

In the back seat, Alice was quiet. Too quiet.

The air around us felt cold, though the night was warm.

"How did you know?" I asked Edward.

"A feeling," he said. "As soon as we walked in I sensed that something non-human had been there. I just didn't know what." He frowned. "You know the old saying, about someone walking over your grave?"

"Don't." I shivered, and Edward gave my hand a comforting squeeze.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"So...it was the Volturi? That's what you sensed?"

"Seems like it."

I leant my head against the window and stared out. I thought back to what Edward had told me that day in the vineyard, about the vampire world's royal family headed by Aro, Caius, and Marcus. It had seemed so surreal, like listening to a horror story, as we'd listened to jazz and sipped wine in the sun.

"How can you be sure it was them?"

"The scent," Alice said, her voice coming softly from the back seat. She sounded almost tired. "And I can't be completely positive, but I don't know any other vampires of that age that would be here, snooping around a town house in sunny Sydney."

"They have their own scent?"

"Not specifically," Edward answered. "Our scents change as we get older. It has to do with the human essence left in our systems and how it fades over time."

There he went again, talking like he was still one of them.

"A newborn has a strong human essence about them because there's still human blood in their system," he explained. "So _their_ scent, for instance, is different to a much older vampire, who's had no trace of human blood for a long time." He frowned. "I make it sound like everyone stinks, but it's not like that. It's actually a very subtle thing to detect."

"It's not a bad smell," Alice said quickly. "It's like telling the difference between Katy Perry's latest perfume and Chanel no. 5."

I thought I could see now what they were getting at.

"So the scent at Marion's house..."

"Chanel," Alice said.

I swallowed hard.

"What are the denalis?" I asked.

"Another vampire family." Edward sped through an amber traffic light, making it across the intersection just as it turned red. "Vegetarians, like us. We consider them cousins, but they've existed for a thousand years."

I blew out a breath. That was hard to get my head around.

A thousand years.

Alice was a spring chicken at a hundred and thirteen.

I bit my lip and stared out the window again.

"They were here last night," Edward said. "The dog next door..."

"I heard," Alice said, sighing.

"It gives us a time frame," Edward said. "I couldn't see anything in the place to indicate where Marion might have gone, unless they found something and took it with them."

"She's staying one step ahead of them, isn't she?"  
"So far, it seems that way," Edward said. "But I don't know if they've ever caught up to her this closely in the past."

He took a corner too quickly and the tyres squealed.

"Hopefully they won't find her," I said.

"Hopefully."

"But...why do they _want_ to find her? I mean, would they really come all the way here just because she knows vampires exist? It seems like a lot of effort. And risky for them."

"They take the laws very seriously," Alice said darkly.

We stopped at a traffic light. A man and woman walked across the road in front of us, holding hands, smiling and talking, their lives unaffected by the supernatural. I thought of Marion, never being able to settle anywhere. Never able to have a normal life.

I assumed that, wherever Marion had gone, the Volturi were on her tail and I wished we could help her. But if she was already overseas, like Kevin thought, there wasn't much we could do. The Volturi would follow her. They might already be out of the country and a small, selfish part of me was relieved by that thought.

It seemed that, while the arrival of the Volturi was a shock, we didn't really have anything to worry about. Edward had said we weren't in danger. They'd come for Marion, not us. Alice could see no connection with her fiery vision. But if that was the case, why were Edward and Alice so quiet? Why was the atmosphere so tense? Why were the other Cullens being called in "just in case"? Was there something I was missing?

Yes, there was. And it came to me, just as Edward took the turn into his street. The shock, the sharp stab of blinding fear, made me gasp so loudly, I startled him, and he hit the kerb. The car came to an abrupt stop.

"Bella?"

I looked at him, and I knew there was terror in my eyes. Knew he'd see the conclusion I'd just come to. The same conclusion he'd no doubt come to back in Marion's bathroom. His face crumpled and he clutched me to him.

"I'll keep you safe," he said quickly, fiercely. "I'll never let go."

I was gasping, like I'd been underwater and was struggling to come up for air.

"No. No this can't...Edward, I won't let them..."

I grabbed at him, clutching his shirt in my fists and pounding his chest like that would keep him safe.

"I won't let them touch you, I won't...oh my God...Rose and the baby!" Tears burned at the backs of my eyes. " _Max and Hannah_! No!"

"It's okay, Bella. It'll be okay." He slid his seat back and pulled me into his lap. "I promise."

"No," I shook my head. "That's just it. You can't promise. Oh my God, Edward..."

"Ssh, Bella it's going to be alright..."

"NO! It's not going to be alright! If the Volturi find Marion, if _Aro_ finds Marion, he'll read all her memories. You said he could do that!" My voice was rising, panic swelling inside me, taking over. "He'll see _me_ in her memories. And my _scar_. He'll know!"

"Bella, love please..."

"You're in danger, because of _me_! He'll come after me and then, if he finds me, _he'll see you_. He'll see everything in my memories... and he'll come after you. And he'll find the others and... "

Suddenly Edward's mouth was on mine in a crushing kiss that stole my breath, stopped my heart, and swept away my panic. He held my face in his hands, his fingers hot against my skin as his lips made a fierce promise.

When he pulled back, breathless, he pressed his forehead to mine.

"Not to dismiss your fears, or the severity of the situation," he said. "But I had to find a way to stop you."

"Uh huh..." I sagged against him, drained, no energy now for panic though the fears remained.

"No-one will find you. We will get through this, Bella."

"How?"

"We'll find a way. The Volturi won't touch you."

"Or you."

He smiled softly. "Or me," he said.

He held me tenderly, grazing kisses against my hair, while our breathing slowed.

"Where's Alice?"

"In the house."

I never saw her get out, but then, why would I?

Edward nestled me closer.

"The Volturi don't know you exist," he said. "And they think I'm hunting mountain lions somewhere in America with Rose and Emmett."

"But what if..."

He pressed his finger gently to my lips.

"They'll never touch you," he said firmly. "I'll make sure of that."

His gaze burned into mine and I nodded, feeling the strength of him as he held me in his arms. Feeling the heavy certainty of his words.

And in that moment, I believed him.

 **A/N: Next chapter will be up tomorrow (or sooner) : ) xx**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Edward's living room resembled headquarters for some sort of intelligence operation.

Three laptops were lined up on the kitchen counter, books were scattered everywhere, and there was a map spread open on the coffee table. Edward and Alice were in deep discussion about hacking and firewalls and while I considered myself fairly tech-savvy, their conversation went to a whole new level I didn't understand.

I stood by the kitchen sink, a cup of tea in my hands, and thought how forty eight hours ago we'd been flying back from Queensland, our future looking bright and beautiful.

And now...

I'd believed Edward earlier when he'd said the Volturi wouldn't hurt us. But now there was an urgency about him, and barely-concealed fear in his eyes, and I began to doubt.

"Bella?"

I was so lost in my thoughts, his voice startled me. He smiled and held out his hand. "I'm about to Skype with Carlisle and Esme. Would you like to say hello?"

I nodded and tipped my tea down the sink before going to join him. It had gone cold, anyway.

We pulled out the stools at the counter and Edward dialled in from the nearest laptop and a moment later Carlisle and Esme appeared on the screen.

Their smiles shifted quickly into shock.

"Bella?"

"Hi!" I managed a shaky smile as I waved. "It's me."

I could feel myself tearing up. It was so good to see them. So good to hear their voices.

In the space of a second, Esme's expression followed that shock with confusion, disbelief, and hope. And then, as Edward briefly explained how we'd found each other again, or as he put it, "Bella found me and I finally came to my senses," her face radiated joy. A wondrous joy that took her from beautiful, to breathtaking.

Beside her, Carlisle beamed.

"Well," he said. "I think that's just made my whole century."

Then Esme hugged her husband so hard that the sofa where they sat had almost tipped backwards.

"I never stopped hoping." She was as close to tears of joy as a vampire could be. "Oh, this is wonderful."

I wanted more than anything for this moment to last forever. This moment when all was happiness and lives weren't in danger. But nothing lasts forever.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Carlisle's eyes narrowed slightly, his smile fading a little as his expression became more speculative.

"I'm afraid there is," Edward said, and then told them the rest of the story, including Alice's arrival, and the discussion in Marion's bathroom.

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Carlisle said firmly, his jaw set in a way I'd never seen before. He put his arm around Esme's shoulder. She'd had her face buried in her hands as Edward spoke, but now when she lifted her head, her expression made me fear for the Volturi if they so much as looked at her family the wrong way.

"What are you thinking?" Carlisle asked Edward, and Edward sighed and dragged one hand through his hair. The other hand was curled around mine.

"I've looked into Marion's past up to a point," he said. "But I want to look deeper. Her pattern of moving and relocating was so regular, every two years like clockwork, I really thought it was just Bella's scar that had spooked her into packing up earlier than usual."

"Maybe it was?" Carlisle mused.

"Except it seems too coincidental to have the Volturi on the doorstep so soon after she left."

Carlisle nodded. "So something must have alerted her to their coming."

"But what?"

That was the question.

"She's English," Edward continued. "But I think she has a Romanian background. Her real name is Baciu. Mary-Anne Baciu."

Carlisle's eyebrows rose.

"You think there's a vampire in her ancestry? A connection to Vladimir and Stefan?"

"I don't know." Edward frowned. "She was a lecturer at the university in Bucharest, published works about myths and vampires, then she disappeared eight years ago during a sabbatical in Italy. I'd thought her interest might have stemmed from old family stories. Tales of the old country, that sort of thing, but now..."

"It does need more investigation," Carlisle said.

"Alice has Jasper working on it right now." Edward glanced across the room to his sister who was on her phone and laptop at the same time.

"He's the history expert," Esme smiled softly.

Edward nodded. "And I'm looking into flight arrivals. The Volturi had to have flown here, but I'm guessing they didn't take a commercial flight. They must have come privately."

"I know they've travelled across Europe by plane in the past," Carlisle said. "But the flights are much shorter, even to the States it's only around ten hours. Flying to Australia, though..." He paused, frowning. "Twenty two hours in a plane full of humans would be problematic for them."

"They'd have to do it in separate trips," Esme suggested. "With stopovers."

"And I can't see that working," Edward said. "It'd be too difficult co-ordinating flights that only landed after dark and took off in the dark. So they must have come here by private plane." He rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm actually wondering if it's their own plane."

Everyone considered for a moment.

"That makes sense," Esme said. "If one of them can fly."

"I don't think that would be a problem," Carlisle said. "I remember from my time with them, there were lots of different skill sets in the coven. There were no pilots, of course, but they might have deliberately, er, _recruited_ someone in more recent years. To put it politely."

"Having their own plane would rule out any difficulties with in-flight snacking," Edward muttered ruefully and Carlisle nodded.

The thought of it made me feel ill. I screwed my eyes shut and looked away.

"Why does it matter?" I asked. I inhaled deeply and lifted my gaze to Edward. "How they got here, I mean? Why does it matter?"

"We can track their movements, to some extent," he said. "Every flight arrival has to be registered and logged by law. Departures, too. So if I can find something, that would give us a time frame for their visit here. We could track where they go next, if it's back to Italy, or somewhere else."

And we'd know when they leave Sydney. When we could breathe again.

I leant my head against Edward's shoulder. In a way, this was all so familiar and my mind wandered back to that day when the Cullens had gathered and planned and acted to keep me safe from James. They'd risked themselves in the process. If Laurent or Victoria had decided to tell the Volturi back then about the Cullens and me...

I shuddered again.

Edward always thought he was a danger to me? Maybe it was the other way round.

I did a mental run-through of the day I met Marion. Had I mentioned Edward's name? I didn't think so. From memory, I'd told Gordon that I knew the guy who designed the roof but that was all. So that was something.

I felt so tired, so incredibly weary. Edward seemed to realise. His arm curled round me, holding me up it seemed, as much as holding me close.

And then as my mind continued to turn things over, another realisation hit me and I gasped.

"The wolves. If the Volturi find me they'll know about Jake and the wolves." My eyes widened. "Oh my God, Charlie's married to Sue. My Dad..."

Edward's arm tightened. Esme's voice cut through my panic.

"We'll be there in forty eight hours," she said. Then her lips thinned. "And that means I have some packing to do." She said goodbye, and then she was gone. Carlisle shifted to centre screen.

"Ultimately," he said. "We need to stop the Volturi finding Marion. That's what this comes down to."

"Yes," Edward sighed. "That's the conclusion I've come to. We need to keep tracking her, and them as far as we can. And we need to know why they're after her."

"Do you think there's a link between this and Alice's visions?"

"I don't know." Edward shook his head. "There's nothing concrete to indicate a connection, but..." He trailed off. "I just don't know."

"Well," Carlisle exhaled slowly. "At least we can assume the Volturi don't know about Bella yet. That gives us some time to work this out some more. And if Marion stays one step ahead like she has, they may never find out."

But we'd always be looking over our shoulders.

Edward kissed the top of my head and I snuggled closer while he and Carlisle continued talking.

"Demetri is the one to look out for. When I lived in Volterra he was the chief tracking agent, it was a talent of his. Of course, as a human, Marion can go places he can't, travelling further afield, and that makes finding her more difficult. It would take more time, but if the Volturi are in Sydney, he'll be leading them."

"Alice said there were three."

"And that _is_ curious," Carlisle said, his brows knitting together. "There must be something extraordinary about her to warrant that many."  
I got the feeling it wasn't just so he wouldn't be lonely.

I thought of Marion again. Would Gordon be in danger too because he was the one that introduced me to the her? Would Beryl be in danger?

Oh dear God, not Beryl.

The panic was starting to build again.

"I think I'll get some air." I smiled at Edward, then went out onto the back deck.

There was a chill in the air now, and the timber boards were cold on my bare feet, but I didn't care.

I breathed in deeply, and watched the moonlight shining on the waves as they broke softly on the sand. There was usually something soothing about the gentle back and forth of the ocean, but not tonight. The deep breaths were just making me hyperventilate.

I couldn't see how this would end well.

The danger magnet had really outdone herself this time.

Through the glass I could see Edward talking, gesturing at the laptop. Alice was on the sofa, frowning down at the computer on her lap. Everyone was working on a solution, working desperately to keep me safe, and there was nothing I could do.

I didn't have the hacking skills. I didn't have the historical background or knowledge. No super strength or speed.

I was less than useless.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket and, desperate for the distraction, I practically tore my jeans to get it out.

There were two messages.

The first was from Rachel, letting me know our presentation for a grant application on Friday had been scheduled for two o'clock.

 _Run-through tomorrow at lunch,_ she'd written.

Tomorrow seemed so far away, but I texted back a quick, _Sure!_ though I had no idea what tomorrow would bring.

The next message was from Marc and I groaned as I read his message.

 _The interview went well. Want to get coffee some time and I'll tell you about it?_

Not only was I danger to everyone I cared about, I was a bad friend too. I'd been so caught up last week with Edward and going to Queensland, I'd forgotten Marc's meeting at the museum.

 _Sounds good!_ I texted back. _Let me know when you're free._

It was a stupid thing to write. I had no idea if I'd ever be able to meet him for coffee. I didn't know if I'd be at the presentation on Friday, or even at work tomorrow. The world rolled on around me and I was standing still. My life, Edward's life, had basically stopped.

I leant on the railing and dropped my head into my hands while the panic resumed a slow burn inside me.

There was no way out of this. There was nothing I could do.

As the sea rolled in and out, and I fought down the quiet horror that was swamping me, an idea flickered through my mind, telling me there _was_ something I could do. It came suddenly, shocking me so much that I gasped.

"No," I whispered. "No, I can't."

But the idea persisted. And it told me I'd be selfish to do anything less.

"No," I whispered, pushing the idea back. "I won't."

But if I didn't, Edward and his family could all die.

Edward, who had worked so hard and been through so much to make a real, human life. A life he loved. He deserved to spend that life climbing mountains and building bridges and playing with his niece and nephew. Not always on the run, looking over his shoulder, like Marion.

He deserved to have another dog.

Angry tears spilled onto my cheeks but I dashed them away quickly when I heard the glass doors slide open.

Edward came up behind me, his arms curling round my waist.

"You okay?" He kissed my neck and nuzzled me with his nose.

"Yeah. I just...have you told Emmett and Rose?"

"I have. Just now."

"And? They hate me, don't they?"

"No, not at all. But they are packing up, they're going to go to their..."

"Don't tell me." I shook my head. "I don't want Aro to know where they are. Just in case."

"Bella, you can't..." He hesitated. "Okay," he said. "Just in case."

He kissed the other side of my neck. "I promise you, love..."

"You can't promise anything, Edward." I turned abruptly in his arms and met his surprised gaze. "You're telling me things you want to believe, but we both know the reality."

He swallowed hard. "I know," he whispered. "I know. But we're doing everything we can."

"It won't be enough though, will it?" I bit into my lip, so hard I tasted blood. I cleared my throat, the words were all ready, waiting to be said, and I wondered if I'd have the courage to say them.

"I know things look bleak," Edward said. "And you're right, I can't promise anything except that I'll do whatever I need to..."

I threw up my hands. "Stop. Just, stop." My resolve was weakening and if I didn't interrupt and do this now I'd never do it.

He was looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak. The whole situation seemed surreal, as though I was outside my body, watching on. I felt myself take a deep breath. Saw my hand as I brushed the hair out of my eyes. Heard my voice as I broke my own heart. And Edward's.

"I think...I think it's just better for everyone if I leave. Leave here. Leave...you. That way, if the Volturi find me at least you won't be nearby. If we're not together, it'll be harder for them to find you."

Had I really done that?

I felt sick in a way I never had before. Like my body was turning itself inside out. Like my heart was crashing against my ribs, trying to escape my chest and run to Edward, where it belonged.

Was this how he'd felt when he'd left me in Forks?

His face was blank, and I watched as that blankness gradually, disbelievingly, gave way to pain.

"Please tell me you're not serious."

There was a new fear in his eyes that had nothing to do with the Volturi. I curled my fingers into a fist, digging my nails into my palm hoping that would stop the tears.

"I am. Very serious. There's nothing else I can..."

"Don't do this, Bella."

"I have to." I broke out of his arms but he stopped me, catching my wrist, and I stilled, staring up into blazing green eyes.

"No," he whispered.

"You said you wouldn't stop me if I wanted to leave."

"Not like this."

My stomach clenched and churned. My body began to shake and the blood was pounding in my ears. But I forced myself to speak firmly, calmly. I had to make him let go. His life depended on it.

"You told me if I felt safer without you..."

"That was before we knew about the Volturi."

"I still don't want..."

He grabbed me, his hands grasping my upper arms.

"I love you," he said. "You love me. We're stronger than this."

"I...I don't think we are." I couldn't look at him. "You're not good for me."

I'd thrown back at him the words he'd said to me that day in the woods, and I hated myself for it.

Edward recoiled, like I'd slapped him. For a moment I thought my knees would give way. Then the tumult inside me stopped, and instead I felt suddenly, unnaturally cold. Empty. As if my body, my life, had shut down. I vaguely wondered how I kept standing.

Edward stiffened, his mouth a hard line though his throat was working hard.

"I don't believe you."

He could see through me. See the lie. I needed to get away and I broke out of his grasp.

"I can't do this anymore, Edward. It's been too much. There's always...drama and danger and...I can't do it anymore. I think you were right to stay away from me and I shouldn't have come to find you."

My voice broke as I made for the door but he blocked my way, planting himself firmly in front of me.

"Look at me, Bella."

I shook my head. If I did as he asked, if I met his gaze, I'd never be able to walk away.

"Look. At. Me."

It was the voice of a vampire. A voice compelling, commanding.

Slowly, almost painfully, I lifted my eyes. The agony in his almost broke me. But that agony shifted into something else. Something fierce. He leant down, his face level with mine.

"If you think I'm going to let you leave here and go, God knows where, _unprotected_ , you're crazier than you were when you came to the meadow with me. And I can tell you now, it's not happening."

He spoke through clenched teeth, his eyes burning into mine.

There was so much life in those eyes. So much life in him. I couldn't let him risk that life.

My resolve strengthened a little.

"Please, just let me go."

"Where to? Where will you go?" He straightened, folding his arms across his broad chest as he glared. "How will you keep yourself safe?"

"That's not your concern. Anymore. We're over."

My voice quavered. A hot tear spilled onto my cheek and I quickly brushed it away. Edward inhaled sharply. I gulped down my pain, my eyes focused on his bare feet because I couldn't stand to see his anguish.

I was such a fucking coward.

A long moment passed. Every thump of my heart was heavy, slow, like it was long-dead and beating only from habit.

"Alright," Edward said, softly now, and there was so much emptiness, so much defeat, in that single word, it broke my heart all over again. "We're over. It's done. I don't blame you, but you can't handle this on your own." He took a step closer, I watched his feet close the distance a little between us. "You have to let us, let _me,_ keep you safe. And then, afterwards, I'll walk away."

A sob broke through my lips.

"If that's what you want," he said.

I tried to nod but my body was shaking so much. I hugged myself, as if that might stop me falling apart. Edward's feet came a little closer, the frayed hems of his jeans moving softly over his skin.

"I...I don't love you."

"I know." He nudged my foot gently with his. "So are we agreed?"

I was still staring downward, watching the toes of his left foot as they pressed softly over mine.

"I'll see you safely through this, and then we say goodbye."

"No."

"No?"

"You can't...I can't let you..."

His arms came round me then, pulling me against his chest and my sobs broke free.

We stood there, on the deck in the moonlight, while I cried out my fears and anger. I shook against him, so hard my teeth rattled, but he stood strong. And steady. His arms giving me a welcome sanctuary.

I didn't know how long I cried, but by the time I stopped I was exhausted and my eyes felt soggy. Edward lifted me in his arms and carried me to the sun lounge. He sat down and settled me in his lap.

"It's not a good situation," he murmured. "I don't know how it's going to end, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified, but if I let the fear get to me, then the chances of us coming out of this are zero. I will do everything I can, anything I need to, to protect you. _That_ I _can_ promise you."

He brushed his lips against my temple.

"I love you," he said. "And if you do want to leave after..."

"No." I shook my head, still gulping a little from my meltdown. "I don't...want to leave." I lifted my face to him. "I didn't mean any of the things I said...I love you, too."

"I know." He smiled softly, sadly. "I know. You gave me a good scare for a minute, though. I'd rather face the Volturi alone than ever hear those words again." He rubbed his hand over my back; soothing circles that made me sink into him even more. His other hand rested on my thigh and I stroked the warm skin of his forearm, feeling the soft dusting of hair, and the hard cords of muscle beneath.

"I'm scared."

"I know."

"I didn't know what to do with the fear. I thought, if I..." I could feel the tears stinging again and took a deep, steadying breath. "Next time I'll tell you what I'm feeling."

"That would be a good idea. Instead of scaring the fucking daylights out of me."

It was always a novelty when Edward swore, and a soft, sleepy giggle escaped me.

"Am I still a terrible liar?" I asked.

"Always. Are we still together?"

"Always."

He kissed me then. Softly, slowly.

"Ah, Bella..." He sighed as he pulled back. "It's been a long day."

"The longest."

"Do you realise what it would do to me love, if something happened to you because you thought you were saving me?"

I hadn't really thought of it that way, but now that I was...

Actually, I didn't want to think about it.

"I get it. It'd be exactly what it would do to me, if the situation was reversed."

He smiled a little.

"Exactly," he whispered.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Bringing all this on you. And your family. Putting you in danger."

He pressed his finger to my lips and shook his head.

"But I feel..."

"No. Okay?"

His eyes told me there would be no argument, so I nodded.

"Okay."

We looked out at the water. The mood was much calmer now, probably through exhaustion more than anything, but we curled into each other, enjoying the moon and the soft purr of the sea and it's gentle to-and-fro on the sand.

"Maybe one day our kids will build sand castles here," Edward murmured.

His simple statement came as a surprise, but such a welcome one right now. For a moment I wanted nothing more than to suspend reality, and go with the fantasy. I closed my eyes and pictured it, my head against his chest while his deep voice rumbled within.

"I'll show them how to make moats and drawbridges out of sticks."

"All to engineering standards?"

"Of course. And you'll collect shells and interesting bits of driftwood with them and they'll put them on their shelves to collect dust."

"That's a nice dream, Edward."

"It's the best."

I smiled to myself, enjoying the picture his words created, wishing and hoping it would happen one day. I didn't know what was coming for us, but I would savour this peaceful, perfect moment, and carry it with me forever. However long that may be.

Edward's fingers played in my hair and it felt like bliss. When I yawned, he chuckled softly.

"Bed?"

"I don't know. I feel like I shouldn't, not with everything that's going on."

"You need your sleep. Especially now."

"Then so do you. I'll go to bed if you come with me. I promise I won't kick you if you snore."

His eyes became very tender.

"I don't snore," he said.

I was about to throw a witty comeback, but Alice appeared silently beside us. The look on her face had me suddenly alert. Sandcastles and shells were forgotten.

"What is it?" Edward asked roughly.

Her lips curved in a hesitant smile.

"Jasper thinks he's found something."

-0-

 **A/N: Yes, we're getting to the pointy end of things : )**

 **Thank you for the lovely reviews for chapter 21. I've read a lot of great theories about Marion and the Volturi and love hearing all your ideas, so thank you xx**

 **Next chapter – hopefully not too long.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

We sat on the sofa, laptop on the coffee table, and stared at Jasper's image on the computer screen.

"What have you got?" Edward asked, but Jasper's vivid gaze was on me, his expression serious. He hadn't changed, of course, still the same intense eyes and perfect features, though his hair looked a little dishevelled. I suspected he'd been pulling his fingers through it just moments before.

"Bella," he said quietly, and dipped his head with the courtesy of a true southern gentleman. "Before we start, I want to apologise for my shameful behaviour the last time we..."

I held up my hand, stopping him. With everything that was happening now, my disastrous birthday party wasn't even a blip on the radar. Actually, it hadn't been for years.

"It was a long time ago, Jasper," I said. "All's forgiven. And hey, it's good to see you again, even through a screen. Thanks for helping with this."

Something like surprise flickered in his eyes, then a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Whatever I can do," he said. "I'll be there with Carlisle and Esme in a couple of days."

"Really?" I'd thought the trip might be too difficult for him – so many hours cooped up with humans in a plane.

Beside me, Edward was becoming impatient. Behind him, Alice was smiling.

"It's like getting the band back together," she said and Edward rolled his eyes.

"Not the time, Alice," he muttered then focused on his brother. "Go ahead Jasper."

On the screen, Jasper's attention shifted from me to Edward.

"What you said about the Volturi having a plane got me thinking. There's a website for buying and selling aircraft, similar idea to realestate dot com. I managed to get into their system and look through their records."

"And?" Edward's hand was squeezing tight around mine.

"Six months ago a jet was sold to a Marco Marretti in Rome. A Gulfstream. Marretti's details don't tell me much, the sale doesn't look suspicious. Delivery was to an aerodrome outside the city."

"But he could be working for them," Edward murmured.

"Probably."

"Hang on..." I looked from Jasper to Edward. "Humans work for the Volturi?"

"There are some who do, yes."

"I thought you said that was against the rules, humans knowing about vampires?"

"It is. Except when it's useful to Aro," Edward said. "There are always some humans in connection with the Volturi. They need them sometimes to transact business."

"Or bring them dinner," Alice said.

"Dinner?"

Edward's lips thinned. "There's a strict _no hunting_ rule in Volterra. The Volturi don't want to raise suspicions so they never, er, dine from the local population. But sometimes they send humans out, further afield, to bring in tourists to visit the castle. Sometimes they send Heidi, if the weather is right."

My stomach tightened and churned as I realised what _visit the castle_ really meant. And I didn't want to know about Heidi, whoever or whatever she was.

"Why would a human want to get involved?"

"Because they have hopes of being changed one day," Edward said.

"They _want_ to become vampires?"

It was strange, how I made such a complete and absolute separation between the Cullens and every other vampire. I had been so ready and willing to change for Edward, yet the thought of serving the Volturi made my skin crawl.

"But wouldn't it raise suspicions if people kept going missing at the castle?"

"They pick and choose carefully," Edward said. "And they cover their tracks well." He ran his hand over my back and I leant into him. He kissed the top of my head, then continued his conversation with Jasper.

"If you have the serial number for the plane we can try to trace it's movements."

"Got it here," Jasper said.

A few minutes later Edward was hacking his way into the websites of private airfields outside Sydney that accept international flights. Alice was on the other laptop, and I watched over her shoulder for a moment.

"We're trying to trace Marion's whereabouts," she explained. "I'm checking airlines, Jasper's looking at credit card companies before he leaves for the flight here."

"It's good of Jasper to come too," I said. "I thought it might be difficult for him. The long flight..."

"He's been working hard on his self-control." Alice spoke quietly. "After what happened on your birthday, and then Edward becoming human..." She paused. "He couldn't be in the house with Edward for a while."  
I nodded. "Edward told me."

"He felt bad," she said. "But he's come a long way in eight years." There was pride in her voice, and a loving smile on her lips. "And he'll make sure he eats before he leaves, and then we'll go down to the national park as soon as he arrives." A flicker of concern crossed her features and she reached for my hand. "You don't have to worry, there won't be a repeat of..."

"Oh! No, I never thought that. Not for a minute."

Alice squeezed my hand. "He's glad you're back."

Then she turned back to the computer and was once more engrossed in tracking Marion Tinsley. I watched for a moment then went to look over Edward's shoulder. He yawned spectacularly.

"Could you use a coffee?" I asked and he smiled.

"Thanks."

So I made coffee for Edward, herbal tea for me, and tried not to let those feelings of uselessness resurface. Time ticked on, the room was silent except for the clicking of keyboards. I watched on from the kitchen as Edward and Alice found their way in and out of websites, doing things I didn't understand and that were probably illegal.

"How did you all get so good at this?"

"Good at what?" Alice asked.

"Hacking, I guess."

"Necessity." Edward glanced up. "In 2001 Rosalie found pictures of herself on two different school reunion websites."

"For 1967 and 1983," Alice added. "It took two days to figure out how to delete them. Jasper was the one who worked it out and we realised then how technology could be a huge problem for us."

"That's mostly what we hack for," Edward said. "To remove files about ourselves. Over time we've all become proficient."

"Do you still show up?" I asked Edward.

"Sometimes. Last year I was on a _Where Are They Now_ page for Dartmouth's music faculty."

"Speaking of music..." Alice looked around. "Where's your piano?"

"I hardly played it any more so I sold it." Edward turned his attention back to his computer.

"That's sad," Alice pouted. "You loved the piano."

He shrugged. "I sleep at night now and I don't have endless hours to sit and play during the day. The guitar's more portable, it suits me better now."

While Edward busied himself with hacking again, Alice studied him closely. If he was aware of her gaze fixed on him, he didn't show it. And if she was aware of my eyes on her, she gave no clue.

Her expression spoke of memories and nostalgia, a wistful longing. My own heart clenched to see it. But as she continued to watch him her face changed subtly. Softening until she was smiling, her eyes full of warm affection. I thought I saw her shoulders sag, as if relieved of some burden, but the motion was so slight, so smooth, I might have imagined it. But still, her face, her posture - in some way I couldn't pinpoint she seemed to have let something go. Then in a sweeping second she was talking again, telling Edward about a firewall and he said something about a filter bypass. The conversation got technical, then Edward asked me if I could research vampire stories.

"What? Like Dracula?"

"No, I'm thinking more like weird Facebook stories, people talking about unexplainable things they've seen or heard of. Or news articles about people mysteriously disappearing."

"Or people being killed in animal attacks," Alice added and Edward agreed.

"I'm trying to see if there's a pattern," he explained. "If there are mysterious incidents in the cities where we know Marion's lived."

"You think she's a vampire?"

Edward shook his head. "No. But I'm wondering if there's a vampire helping her."

"A vampire friend?"

"Or family," he said, sighing. "I don't know. I might be completely off the mark, but it's worth looking into. There might be something that tells us why the Volturi are so desperate to find her."

I grabbed my laptop and set up business at the kitchen counter, glad to have something real to do. Edward and Alice both slipped back into silence, wearing matching frowns as they stared at their laptops.

My mind was racing with different scenarios about Marion. Did she have a vampire lover and they were on the run together from the Volturi? I thought idly that it would make a great love story.

I started searching 'animal attacks in France' and was so engrossed reading about the re-emergence of wolves that when Edward cried out some time later I almost fell off my stool.

"I've found it," he said. "I've found the plane." He sat back suddenly, his expression grim. "It's all here, flight plans, passenger manifesto, it _is_ them." He looked up, face pale. "The Volturi are here. _All of them._ "

Alice gasped softly, her hand flew to her mouth.

We'd known, but even so, hearing it confirmed was like having the world pulled from under me. A hard shiver ran through me. Edward stood, striding towards me and I met him halfway across the living room. This was very real now.

"It'll be okay," he murmured, pulling me into his arms. "It'll be alright. I won't let them find us." I nodded against him. We both knew the truth but right now we were going with the fantasy.

Alice had moved from the kitchen counter to the sofa. She was frowning at the laptop, at Edward's discovery.

"There were twelve of them on board." She lifted her gaze. "This is something big."

"I know," Edward said.

Alice began reading off names.

Aro, Caius, and Marcus, I recognised. But none of the others. Jane. Demetri. Alex. Felix. Chelsea. Renata. Heidi had already been mentioned. The names ran on, there seemed to be so many, and I lost track.

"Marcus Marretti is the pilot," Alice said. "They arrived three days ago." She sighed. "Marretti's a human, no doubt."

"No doubt," Edward said. "He'll be doing any daylight legwork."

I looked from one to the other. "Does it say when they're leaving again? Is there a departure date?"

"Two days. Wednesday evening," Edward said. "At least, that's their current schedule. It could change."

"It's a fast trip," I said.

"They're expecting a fast result."

His words made me shudder. "Where would they stay?"

"A hotel," Edward said. "That surprises you?" he added when he saw my reaction.

"Yeah. I guess. Wouldn't they, um, stand out?"

"Not necessarily. They probably made several separate bookings under different names to avoid too much attention. They'd come out after dark and keep the curtains drawn through the day." His arms gave me a gentle squeeze. "They know how to move about among humans when they have to. And if they have a human with them..."

It still seemed weird. I wondered vaguely what they did during the day. Watch cable? Did they order from the shopping channel?

Alice was frowning, thoughtful now, as her eyes ran over the screen.

"They're _all_ gifted, aren't they?"

"Most of them. It's no surprise, it's part of the entry criteria," Edward murmured absently, voice flat.

Still standing in each other's arms, he felt cold now, his touch reminding me of Forks. I looked up into his eyes that stared, blank and unseeing, towards the hall. It was almost as if he wasn't here. Like he'd suddenly disappeared, leaving the shell of his body behind. I wondered where he'd gone.

"Edward?" I touched his cheek and that seemed to break the spell. He shook his head a little and his emerald eyes settled on mine. "It's bad, isn't it?"

"It's not good," he said.

"Is this really all about Marion?" I couldn't understand how the timid curator could be such a problem.

"It has to be about her," Alice said.

"But _what_ about her?" There was anger in Edward's voice now and he stepped back from me as he dragged both hands through his hair. "What is it about her that's got all of them flying halfway across the world?"

"I don't know." Alice bit into her lip. "But if we can just keep her away from them..."

"How?" Edward snapped. "How do we do that?"

Alice shrugged. "She's been keeping one step ahead of them so far. If she can keep dodging them for the next thirty or forty years until she dies a natural death..."

"I don't think she has that long." Edward sighed, the energy draining from him as his hands fell limply from his head to his sides. "I don't think she has long at all." He turned his eyes on me. "Tell me again what you remember about her?"

So we sat and I went through my visit to the museum. Her words and expression when she saw my scar.

"And after that?" Edward asked.

I blew out a breath. "She took me through the exhibition and we talked about Vikings. Well, she did most of the talking. She knew her stuff." I thought back over the tour. "Actually, she didn't seem so timid then, now that I think about it. She seemed very much in control but not in an obvious way, if that makes sense." I frowned. "The tour was done and we were back at the exit without me realising we'd got there and she was saying goodbye."

"She rushed you through?"

"No," I shook my head, trying to think. "No, not rushed. At least, it never felt rushed. Maybe it was?" I sighed. "I'm not much help, am I?"

Edward smiled softly and squeezed my knee.

"I'm just trying to see if there was something unusual about her. Apart from her shock at your scar." He took my hand, tracing his thumb over the crescent moon on my wrist. "Sometimes if Aro encounters a human with the potential for greater gifts..."

"You think he's recruiting her?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't know. We know she spent time in Italy, if she discovered Volterra, if Aro saw her in the thoughts of someone else...there might be something in her that sparked his interest."

"But he'd come after her with the whole guard?" Alice sounded skeptical.

"I guess it depends on what it is he's seen. Or knows." His thumb stilled on my wrist. "If she's connected to the Romanians..." He lifted his gaze to Alice. "If she's a descendant, with gifts, Aro could be worried about another war."

Alice's eyes widened.

"Um, what war?" I asked.

"It was a long time ago," Edward said. His voice sounded so weary. He sat back against the modern leather sofa, and looked at me with ancient eyes.

"Over a thousand years ago," he said. "The Romanian coven ruled the vampire world and they had no problems with humans knowing of their existence. It meant more power for them and they ruled by fear and brute strength, until Aro challenged them. The Romanians had greater numbers, their vampires were physically stronger, but they underestimated the power and advantage of supernatural abilities. Aro won. Stefan and Vladimir have resented him ever since. If they could over-throw the Volturi..." He shrugged the rest of his sentence.

This was surreal. Like a scary story someone would tell at a slumber party or summer camp.

Alice cocked her head, eyes speculative.

"I know we've already wondered about a link to the Romanian's," she said. "But you think she's the first step in an attempt to return to power?"

"Maybe. If she has an untapped gift," Edward says. "Though we don't know if she has. We don't know any of this. Marion herself mightn't know." His head fell back against the leather and he shut his eyes.

My head was spinning with all this new information, but I also felt strangely numb, on auto-pilot, as I got up and went back to my laptop.

"I'll keep searching," I said. "We'll find something." But my eyes were suddenly tired and the writing swam in front of me, the words were without meaning. My arms felt so heavy I could barely lift my hands to the keyboard. My eagerness to find the pattern Edward spoke of, had gone. It was like I'd reached my limit. My mind and body had decided to shut down.

"Actually, it's late and I'm tired," I said so calmly that it was surprising, even to me. "I'm going to bed."

"Bella..." There was concern in Edward's eyes as he lifted his head. "Are you alright?"

"Yep. I just need to sleep. Just for a couple of hours. Then I'll keep looking."

I turned and headed for the hall. Edward made to come after me, I heard him move, but then Alice's quiet voice stopped him.

"Let her go, Edward. She's doing what she needs to."

I was grateful for Alice's interruption, because all that mattered in that moment was my pillow. Was this a coping mechanism? Maybe. Whatever it was, I didn't care.

Fifteen minutes later I was showered, curled up in comfy pyjamas beneath Edward's cosy quilt, watching the moon out the window.

It was a beautiful moon. It had been shining long before vampires were born, and would shine long after they'd gone, and for some reason I found some small comfort in that.

I smiled at the moon and then closed my eyes.

Despite how tired I was, I couldn't sleep. My legs were twitchy, my body tense, and my mind jumpy. Every little sound seemed amplified as I thought now about a life lived looking over our shoulders. And what would a vampire war mean?

The moon seemed less comforting now. Daylight hours would be a sanctuary and night would become the enemy. I wondered if I'd ever sleep properly again.

I could hear their voices from the living room. Edward and Alice.

It was almost three o'clock now. Edward would probably be up all night.

I couldn't make out what they were saying, but then I heard Edward's voice more clearly as he walked into the hall.

"I'm just going to check on her Alice." There was a faint note of frustration in his tone.

When he found me still awake, he didn't speak. He simply closed the door, undressed and slipped naked between the sheets. He was still silent as he curled his body around mine. But then, as I nestled against him, locking my body against his, he began to softly sing.

With me curled close against his broad chest, he sang _Daydream Believer._ He hated the song, but he knew I liked it. He knew it was a favourite from my childhood. He knew it meant security and comfort. And in his arms, listening to him sing about bluebirds, I felt like nothing would ever touch us.

He sang it through twice. He started a third time, but I didn't hear him finish, because somewhere around the part about the white knight on his steed, I fell asleep.

-0-

It was still dark when I woke, and straight away I knew something was wrong. Edward wasn't lying beside me, but he was nearby, I could hear the heavy panting of his breath.  
"Edward?"  
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, body shaking, breathing as if he'd run a marathon. The moonlight shining on his bare back showed the glisten of sweat on his skin.  
"Oh my God, what is it, what's wrong?"  
"Nightmare," he said. "Volturi. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."  
I climbed into his lap and threw my arms around him and he hung onto me like his life depended on it. I wasn't surprised the Volturi had invaded his dreams, considering what we'd discovered just a few hours before.  
"It's okay," I murmured. "It's just a dream. It'll be okay." I kissed over his face, his shoulder. "It'll be okay."  
"I know," he said. "I know."  
"Do you want to tell me about it?"  
He shook his head. He was tense, his muscles coiled like he was ready to spring. I expected him to get up and go back to the computers again, but he didn't. Instead he continued to hold me, his face in my hair as he breathed me in.

"I'll do whatever I have to," he said. "Whatever it takes." A faint shudder ran through him and he pulled back a little, shaking his head. "I'm sorry I woke you. You should try to sleep again and I should get back on the computer."

"Me too. There were wolves in the south of France."

"No," he said. "You need sleep."

"Then don't leave me. Please?" I couldn't bear the thought of being apart from him right now. "Please, Edward? Let's have tonight?"

He hesitated for just a moment, then nodded.

"Okay," he smiled.

I trailed my fingers over his back, making slow circles that spiralled the length of his spine. Slowly, his breathing began to calm, the effects of his nightmare leaving him, and then he laid us down again.  
"I'm sorry," he whispered.  
"Don't be."  
I nestled him against my chest, my fingers playing gently in his hair as I began to hum, hoping to sing him back to sleep like he'd done for me.

It was an old song I'd discovered recently, accidentally, when I'd thought I was downloading something else. But the tune had stuck with me, and now, for some reason, it was all I could think of, apart from _Daydream Believer._  
I felt Edward smile against my breast.  
"I remember when that song came out," he murmured.  
"Yeah?"  
He nodded, his silky hair caressing and tickling my skin.  
"1951. I had awful hair back then."  
I giggled, surprised. "Really?"  
"Mm hm. Slicked back with hair cream. Made it look like my ears stuck out."  
"Your ears never stuck out. I mean, not if your 1951 ears were the same as your Forks ears, and I'm guessing they were."  
He chuckled softly, sleepily and I traced my finger around the shell of his perfect human ear.  
He began singing part of the song in his sleepy voice, and I hummed along.  
"Mm... _that's why, darling, it's incredible,that someone so unforgettable, thinks that I am, Unforgettable too_..."  
His voice trailed off and he looked up at me with eyes brilliant with love.  
"Forever," he whispered.  
"Always," I whispered back.  
"I'll do whatever I have to. We'll be okay," he said.  
"Sshh...I know."  
Because in my heart and my mind, there was no room to even consider anything else.  
"You, me, and your big ears."  
He chuckled again, then snuggled against me once more and I kept humming until his body became heavy with exhaustion. When the gentle snoring started I kissed the top of his head. A little later I drifted into sleep again, knowing this impromptu bedtime duet was another moment the Volturi would never take away from me. Even if this was the last full night's sleep I'd ever get.

-0-

The sun was just creeping over the bed when I woke again. I felt drained, heavy, like I hadn't slept at all and with the vague memory of something awful that I couldn't pinpoint. Something that had left me feeling empty and anxious. A bad dream?

The bed was empty beside me. I assumed Edward was back at work in the living room, until I heard him dry-retching in the bathroom.

"Edward!" I untangled myself from the sheets, nearly falling out of the bed as I did so. "Edward!" A second later he opened the door.

His face was pale, the dark circles beneath his eyes reminding me of the vampire he used to be.

"You're sick?"

"No, I'm fine. Didn't sleep well, that's all."

I went to him and he hugged me quickly, holding me close with arms that trembled softly.

"Are you sure?" I wondered if there'd been a second nightmare.

"Positive." He smiled but it was empty. "I'm going to call the office and tell them I'm working from home, then I'll get back on the computer." He frowned. "Can you call in sick?" He glanced at the brilliant blue sky through the window. "I know the risks are low but I'd feel better..."

"Yes," I said, because there was no way I was leaving him. "I'll stay home."

He barely nodded, his distraction was so great. He pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt as a feeling of helplessness stole over me. In a small way, it felt like I'd lost him.

"Wait, you have that meeting today, right? About the bridge?" It was important, I thought. Something about environmental impact studies.

"That's tomorrow," he said. "Wednesday."

"So you'll go?"

He shrugged. "We'll see what happens," he said, and turned to go.

"Edward..." I grabbed his hand. "I...we'll be okay."

"I know." He kissed my forehead absently before he headed out into the hall.

Then I remembered, I had something important happening too. I was supposed to meet Rachel at midday to work on our grant presentation.

"Shit!"

And I was supposed to meet the rental agent about my apartment on Wednesday. And there was Marc – I'd said last night that we'd have coffee sometime this week.

"Bloody hell..."

How long before I could do those things? Would life ever be normal again?

It felt like my life had come to a dramatic standstill. Would I go to work again? Would I move back into my apartment and have coffee with friends?

Would Emmett and Rose be able to come home?

I dropped down onto the bed, pulled my knees up and hugged them to my chest. I began to feel a cold hatred for the Volturi, instead of fear. Now I wanted to go to work, put on my lab coat and stare at microbes all day, just to spite them. Just to prove they couldn't screw with my life.

"Spite science," I snickered. Yeah, that'd show 'em. Suddenly the thought was more and more appealing.

But I couldn't leave Edward. We needed to be together through this and looking back now on the night before, I wondered how I'd even considered the possibility of walking away from him. The memory of telling him I didn't love him and was leaving, made me feel sick, but I'd been so sure at the time that it was the only way.

I was so glad he'd seen through my lies. So relieved he'd understood what I was trying to do. Although, a large part of me was still guilt-ridden and panicked that he and his family were in danger _because of me_.

I shut my eyes, and breathed deeply. I was getting ahead of myself. The Volturi didn't even know we existed.

"One thing at a time," I murmured. "Just take things one step at a time."

I'd call in sick and email Rachel my thoughts on the presentation. We could hook up a teleconference for midday.

"There," I said, feeling a little better, a little more in control. "That's one thing sorted. Now, shower." And after the shower I'd make breakfast for Edward and me. And then I'd take it from there.

One step at a time.

The warm water felt good, running over my head and shoulders, but I stayed in too long. I was surprised when the water ran cold and shut the taps off quickly. In the silence that followed, I could hear the rumble of raised voices.

When I opened the door into the bedroom, my heart sank.

"If you'd asked me six months ago..." Alice's voice was rough, pained. "Or even six _weeks_ ago, but not now..."

"You would leave her so exposed and vulnerable?" There was a hard edge to Edward's voice, something dangerous that raised goosebumps on my arms. "You know there's no other way. You have to promise me, if things get bad enough..."

"She's out of the shower."

My heart felt like it had turned to stone and I thought I might throw up too, as realisation stole over me and his words from last night took on a new meaning...

 _I'll do whatever I have to. Whatever it takes_

He wouldn't. Surely he wouldn't. He _couldn't._

Raw panic rushed through my body. I shook so much I could barely get into my bathrobe but somehow I managed and then I ran out of the bedroom, into the living room, almost crashing into the wall as I skidded to a stop.

Edward was making coffee. Alice was watching the local morning news programme on the television.

"Okay, what's going on?"

I looked from one to the other. Alice arched an eyebrow at Edward.

"Lets see you get out of this one."

I took a couple of steps into the room, my eyes fixed on Edward and when I spoke, my voice was surprisingly calm. And very hard. "You were asking her to change you back, weren't you?"

He set down his cup. From the corner of my eye I saw Alice get up to leave. Without moving my gaze from Edward, I held up my hand to stop her.

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

"If you _ever_ so much as _breathe_ on him..."

"I've already told him no," she said, and left the room.

I folded my arms across my chest.

"So, Edward, were you going to sneak away and become a vampire again without telling me?"

"No," he said, coming out from the kitchen.

"Then what?"

He reached for my hand and I let him take it. He squeezed my fingers gently and led me to the sofa, where we sat, side by side, my hand still in his. He stroked his thumb over my knuckles."I wasn't going to sneak anywhere. I was going to talk to you about it before I...did anything."

"Did anything?"

I felt like I'd been kicked in the chest and I jerked my hand from his. Fear and panic mingled with anger and I stood up, folding my arms again as I glared at him.

Edward stood too.

"Bella, you know that as a human I have basically no chance of keeping you safe." His voice was so hollow, so empty. "And I will not leave you unprotected. As a vampire I could..."

"No..." I shook my head, angry tears spilling onto my cheeks. He reached for me, but I stepped back. This decision was why he was coughing up his guts this morning. This was why he looked like he'd already died.

My mind was full now of an earlier conversation, just over a week ago, up at the lighthouse. He'd talked about his waking nightmare – an eternity in which he outlived the earth as a vampire. His words came back to me...

 _What if I spent eternity alone in the blackness left behind?...Sometimes I wanted to go into the woods and scream...I'll never give up my soul._

"You said you'd never go back. You'd said you'd never give up your soul."

He met my gaze steadily. The sorrow in his face made me cry, but it was the resolve in his eyes that broke my heart.

He would really do this.

"Some things are more important," he whispered.

I started to sob. He came closer. When I whacked him in the chest, he pulled me into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was planning to tell you about it, if it got that far. Right now, it's just a contingency plan."

"Your soul is not a contingency plan!"

I pushed back from him, out of his arms, wiping my face on my sleeve. Then I threw back at him the argument he used from last night.

"Edward, do you have any idea what it would do to me, if you went back...back to the _darkness_ you spoke about...because of _me_?" His jaw hardened, but he kept a steady gaze on me. "And if you do go back," I went on, "I'll change too."

He blanched, his face paling.

"No. You can't."

"Oh, yes I can."

"Bella..."

"If you change, I change. Alice can do a two-for-one deal."

He dragged his hands through his hair. "She wouldn't do it."

"Then I'll ask Carlisle when he gets here."

"He won't do it either."

My legs felt wobbly, my breaths were short, but I stood my ground. And hoped I'd called Edward's bluff. He took a step closer.

" _I_ won't let you do it," he said.

"You can't stop me."

He took another step so he was towering over me. "I know you don't want to be a vampire."

"Tell me that _you do_. Tell me this is what you want."

He turned his head, looking away, his jaw moving as he ground his teeth.

"You can't, can you? You can't say it because you _don't want it_."

"I want you safe!" His head snapped back to mine. "Nothing else matters! Nothing!"

I touched his cheek, ignoring the anger in his eyes. "Lots of other things matter," I whispered. "Building sandcastles with our kids, for one. Please don't give up that dream Edward, because it's my dream too."

My heart was pounding because I knew, if he really felt it was the only way, he'd offer up his throat to keep me safe.

He swallowed hard, blinking against the tears I could see in his eyes. My own tears were threatening to fall again as the full understanding of his contingency plan hit me.

Such a gift he would give me. His soul, for my life.

"Please," I said. "Don't."

He kissed my palm, and then gathered me into his arms. This time, I let him.

"What happened?" I asked. "What happened between singing each other to sleep, and now, to make you feel like this?"

"More nightmares," he murmured. "Yours."

"Mine?"

He nodded. "Hearing you call my name in your sleep, the panic in your cries..." His voice broke.

"What? I don't remember that." Although there was that awful feeling when I woke.

"You were deeply asleep," he said, brushing my hair back from my face with a gentle touch. "I had to shake you a little and even then you didn't properly wake. Just calmed down when I told you I was here."

I shook my head. "I don't remember," I said again. But Edward obviously did.

He sighed and motioned to the deck. I nodded and we walked outside to greet the morning sun.

We leant on the railing, shoulders rubbing, as we looked out at the sea.

"I don't want it to be like this," Edward said. "Being at cross purposes. The arguing. You thinking you should leave. Me thinking I should change." He sighed.

"We're as bad as each other."

He nodded.

"But if the danger gets too great, if you're at risk, I can't see any other way. Especially if my family are risking themselves too. I feel..."

"Helpless?"

He nodded.

"Welcome to my world."

He chuckled wryly. I nudged his shoulder with mine.

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yep." He rubbed his hand over his face. "I don't know what to do."

"That's okay," I said. "It's the not knowing that leads to the knowing, if that makes sense."

His lips twitched. "It does," he said. "I'll keep going until I find an answer. Although, I thought I had the answer ten minutes ago." He gave me a vampire glare and I gave a shaky laugh. He smiled a hesitant smile.

"Always the wrong reaction?" I asked.

"Always."

This time, he nudged me.

"No more knee-jerk reactions?" he said.

"No more," I said. "We work together on this. But that means you give up this idea about changing."

He hadn't actually said yet that he wouldn't change, and I held my breath, my heart on hold, while I waited for him to answer. As his silence stretched, my heart began to sink.

"Please," I whispered, turning my body towards him. "The fact that you would do that, for me, means...well, I don't have the words for it, Edward. I don't think the words have been invented that describe what it means. But I don't want you to sacrifice your soul. I just want you. And sandcastles. And if we can't have that, if the Volturi win, then we'll have eternity together. The other eternity you talked about, where there's peace, and Ren, and your parents."

He turned too and I placed my hand over his beating heart as I stared into his eyes, wanting him to see the depth of my love and almost drowning in his. He searched my gaze, it felt like he was staring into _my_ soul. I could see his love warring with fear. Then his hand covered mine.

"Sandcastles," he finally said, and kissed me.

-0-

Edward got back to work on the computer. Alice re-appeared and settled in with her laptop. I called in sick to work, then got dressed and made breakfast – neither of us had much of an appetite but I knew it was important to eat. Edward seemed surprised when I told him eggs and bacon were waiting for him on the deck and told him to take a break.

"An army marches on its stomach," I said and he nodded as Alice smirked.

"He'd eat enough for the navy and air force too," she said, then giggled when Edward glared.

I wanted a few minutes of normalcy, and I could feel myself re-charging as we ate together. A man was throwing a stick for his dog, who was splashing in and out of the water, barking excitedly and it made my heart lighter, just watching them. I was surprised that something so small, so normal and every day, could suddenly mean so much.

"You know what?" I said.

"What?" Edward asked.

"I feel like, as long as there are dogs chasing sticks, everything will be okay." I waved my fork towards the happy scene on the sand. "Does that sound weird?"

"Yes." Edward smirked. "And no. I think I get what you mean. It's important to hang on to the little, every day things. It's important to hang onto life." He cleared his throat, and seemed suddenly shy. "Bella, do you think we could spare a few minutes for a walk? There's a question I want to ask you and..."

"Edward!" Alice called from the living room.

His eyes closed. "Yes?" he said through gritted teeth.

"Your secretary's on the phone. Something about cantilevers? And the internet's gone down. Where's your router?"

Edward sighed. "Real life calls," he said and pushed back his chair. "Later?" he smiled and lifted my hand to kiss my knuckles.

"Later," I whispered as curiosity burned through me. "I...um, I'll get back to research too, but first I should work on my notes for the grant presentation. I can't let Rachel down."

"Of course," Edward said. He smiled and squeezed my hand and then he strode back inside.

The cantilever problem was sorted. The router was re-set. Edward and Alice were back online.

It took me an hour to get my notes together and email them to Rachel. Then I went to send her a text, explaining that I was out of action for a couple of days, stomach flu, she wouldn't want me near her, when I saw Marc's response to my reply last night.

 _Great. How about Wednesday? Coffee?_

"Something wrong?" Edward asked as I stared down at my phone.

"Marc," I said.

"Your archaeologist friend with the motorbike?"

"That's him. He had the interview at the museum, it was important and I forgot all about it." I winced.

Edward nodded. "I remember you saying. It was originally with Marion, wasn't it?" I could see his mind working now.

"Yeah, but he never met her. She'd left the museum the week before so I don't think he could help us." But now my mind was working too. "Oh, maybe something was said about her during the interview! You know, _'sorry we had to reschedule you, the previous curator moved to Antarctica'_."

"It's a very long shot," Edward said, smirking.

"But worth a try."

"No need." Alice looked up from her laptop, eyes bright. "Marion Tinsley flew out of Sydney for Singapore a week ago. I've managed to hack Qantas."

I looked at Edward. His face was blank, unreadable.

"That's good, isn't it?" I asked. "She left before the Volturi even got here so that means they haven't found her."

Edward nodded slowly, clearly thinking all this through.

"She resigned suddenly three weeks ago," he said. "Packed up and moved out of her house just a few days later. She obviously went into hiding while she organised her next move."

"Which was Singapore."

"That won't be her final destination," Edward said. "I'm sure of it. If they got this close she won't be taking chances."

"Name change?" Alice asked. "And then onto somewhere else with a new identity?"

"Probably. She'll need to find a way to put more obstacles between herself and the Volturi now"

"But..." I broke in. "If she left the country before the Volturi even arrived here, then they don't know about us. They haven't seen me in her thoughts."

Edward gave me a cautious smile. "It looks that way," he said.

"We're safe? I mean, I know there are still risks, if they ever find her, but right now..."

Edward glanced at Alice. She was beaming.

"I think we are," Edward said. "We're safe."

Excitement was bubbling through me. Excitement and relief and a joy so bright it was almost painful. I wanted to punch the air and high-five the universe.

"Except for the fire vision." Alice's face fell and the three of us stood silently, our good mood suddenly tempered. With everything that had happened, I hadn't even thought about that bloody vision, but now that I did, it seemed unimportant somehow. Marion's successful getaway meant Edward was safe. His family too. And that was more important than anything.

"Well," I said. "Right now I don't give a crap about the vision. The Volturi missed Marion and that's good news, so, I'll focus on that. They'll probably be gone tomorrow, won't they? Back to their evil lair?"

"I'd assume so," Edward said. "Once they realise they've missed her. I can keep an eye on their movements through the airport. It'll be recorded when they leave, so we'll know for sure when they're gone."

"But life can go back to normal?"

"I can go back to looking for cornices," Alice said and I rolled my eyes.

"I was thinking more of _celebrating_ ," I said. "Break out the champagne. Or the, um, deer?" I shrugged and Alice giggled.

"A little 2016 Red Deer would go down very nicely," she said.

I laughed too, and then suddenly my laughs became sobs and my tears flowed as I let go of my bone deep fears. Edward pulled me into his arms.

"I'm sick of crying," I sniffed. "I'm sick of being scared. I want to be normal again."

"I know," Edward murmured and I felt his lips in my hair. "Wanna take that walk?" he asked.

-0-

Arms around each other, we talked about surprisingly normal things as we walked along the sand: what to have for dinner, what movie to see on the weekend. When the waves washed over our feet I gasped and giggled and Edward grinned as he watched me.

"I can go to work tomorrow," I said.

"Um..." Edward rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "They're still in town."

"But they don't know to look for me. And they're leaving tomorrow night."

"True," he admitted. "But I'd feel better if you stayed close until we know they've left the country."

He smiled and bent to kiss me. When a larger wave crashed up around our knees Edward didn't budge. He held me close, his mouth moving with mine, pouring himself into that kiss as the water surged around us.

When he stopped for breath I leant against him, smiling.

"I know you want me to stay here tomorrow, but I want us to get our life back, Edward. Marc wants coffee tomorrow. I'm supposed to take back the tenancy on my flat. And you have your meeting about the bridge. I've got the grant presentation to work on...our lives can't just stop." I nudged him teasingly. "I think we should resume normal transmission."

Edward considered a moment. "If the weather's good," he said. "And if Alice doesn't see anything."

We started walking again. The sun was high in the sky, shining brightly on us, warming our skin. "What was that question you were going to ask me?"

He glanced down at his feet for just a second. When he lifted his eyes, the love I saw there nearly knocked me off my feet.

"I'll ask you when the Volturi have gone," he said

-0-

I slept well that night. Edward did too. We fell asleep in each other's arms not long after dinner, and didn't wake until almost ten o'clock the next morning. We showered and dressed frantically, kissed each other goodbye before rushing out the door, leaving Alice to keep looking for clues to Marion's Volturi connection, and fancy cornices. The Cullens were arriving on a late flight, the last one before curfew and though the imminent danger had passed, we still needed to find answers and it would be good to have the band back together, as Alice had put it. I was so looking forward to seeing them all. I wondered when Emmett and Rosalie would make their way home, too.

Work was busy and it made me smile to think that the world keeps turning, despite Aro and his cronies. I enjoyed a quiet half hour studying microbes and found myself relaxing, the stress and tension of the last couple of days finally drifting away as I bent over the microscope.

Edward texted or called me every half hour. I'd send him hearts and smiley faces when I knew he was in meetings, and he'd send heart-eyes back to me. When he sent a text reminding me to keep away from the bunsen burners, I rolled my eyes.

I arranged to meet the rental agent at my flat at four o'clock, and then Marc and I were going for coffee afterwards, at the cafe down the street. Edward would meet me afterwards, at six, and we'd go for dinner together.

As I pulled up outside the block of flats in Balmain, I felt happy.

Beryl was coming down the path and I realised how much I'd missed her, too. I climbed out of the car and went to her.

"Bella, love! Letting you back in, are they?" She chuckled as we hugged each other.

"I have to sign something before I'm allowed in," I said. "I'm not sure why, my lease is still current."

Beryl nodded. "Just red tape," she said. "It'll be a waiver of some sort. They've done a nice job." She looked back towards the building. "Tried to keep it all in the original old style. The Maloney's haven't moved back in yet." She nodded towards the flat above mine. "There's still some work happening up there, just painting I think, so we'll get some peace and quiet for a while." She chuckled again. "I'm off out for dinner with Gordon and the family. When can we have a cuppa?" She rested her hand on my arm.

"Next week?" I said.

Beryl patted my arm affectionately. "I'll look forward to it. Oh, is that your agent arriving now?"

A car pulled up and Errol, the agent, emerged. And coming down the street was Marc, smiling broadly.

"Is that the lad who took you to the museum?" Beryl whispered from the corner of her mouth.

"Marc. Yes. We're going to have a coffee."

"What about the other one? Edward?"

I was about to correct her, then realised she'd got Edward's name right for once.

"Er, what about him?"  
"Still on the scene, is he?"

"Very much so."

"Hm..." She nodded. "You might want to let Marc know that. They way he's smiling at you, I think he might want more than coffee."

I watched Marc as he came closer. He did look pretty happy. The interview must have gone well.

"I think he just has some good news," I said.

Beryl gave the smallest of shrugs. "Ah well, if you say so." She patted my arm again. "I'll leave you to it, pet." She walked down the path as Errol walked up, and Marc followed a few steps behind.

"Righto," Errol said. "Here we are, hello Bella."

I'd met him a few times since I first took over the lease, and he was always the same; friendly but flustered and smelling of cigarettes.

"I just need to officially take you through the place," he said. "But I've got to be quick, sorry. I've got to pick up my wife from work in half an hour and I can't be late."

Hanging back by the front fence, Marc gave me a grin. I smiled back, and motioned him to come join me.

"There have been changes," Errol explained, barely noticing Marc's arrival. "The owners decided to take the opportunity to update."  
"I thought they'd kept things in the old style." Wasn't that what Beryl had said?

"Oh yes, they have, but they've gone open plan. Knocked down the walls between the living and dining rooms and the kitchen. All one big space now." He waved his arms wide. "Looks better, if you ask me, but as the property has essentially changed I have to show you through and make sure it still suits your needs. If you don't want to live here anymore you can get out of your lease with no penalty."

"I'm sure it'll be..."

"Lets take a look." Errol smiled quickly and hurried up the path. As I followed with Marc, I was glad to see the little concrete garden gnome, still in the hedge beneath my windows, where I'd hidden him weeks before. It was like he'd been keeping guard while I was away.

"How are things?" Marc asked as he fell into step beside me.

"Pretty good. What about you? It feels like ages. You have good news?"

There was excitement in his eyes. "Yep. Can't wait to tell you."

"Then tell me!"

He glanced to where Errol was fumbling with keys outside my door.

"When he's done," he murmured. "The place down the street still good for coffee? My shout."

I grinned and nodded, giving his arm a squeeze, as Errol finally opened the door.

"Okay," he said. "Here you go." He glanced at his watch as he stepped inside. "So you can see, a lot of work's been done..."

"Oh, wow!" It was fantastic. Three smaller rooms had been opened into one huge space, with a stunning new kitchen flowing into it. Granite bench tops, stainless steel appliances, white cabinets. It was a dream kitchen.

"Um, is the rent going up?"

"Not right now," Errol said. "But when your lease is up for negotiation..." He checked his watch again.

"You know what?" I said. "It's all good. I'm happy. It definitely meets my needs."

"Oh?" A look of relief flooded his features. "Great. Here." He thrust a form in front of me then turned round so I could use his back as a table. I quickly scanned the document before signing my name. "Thanks." Errol tucked the form in his folder, waved goodbye, and disappeared out the door.

"This is...wow..."

"It's pretty good," Marc agreed, nodding.

I walked into the middle of the space and turned round slowly.

The old carpet had been pulled off and the floorboards polished. There were fancy architraves around the doors. The old fireplace had always had an electric heater where the flames should be, but now it had been made more of a feature with an elegant frame and mantle piece. The heater itself had been replaced with something sleeker and newer.

"It all looks so much _bigger_. The ceilings seem higher..."

I looked up and froze.

There were new cornices. Elaborate swirls and leaves and flowers. Exactly like Alice had drawn.

This was the room in her vision.

"Oh my God..."

I started to backing towards the door, fumbling in my bag for my phone as I went.

"Bella, what's wrong?"  
I looked up into Marc's concerned eyes, then above him, to the cornices.

"Is everything okay?"

"Um, no..." I started dialling Edward but my fingers were shaking so much I dropped my phone. "Marc we have to get out of here. Now. I'll explain later." Though I had no idea what I'd tell him.

I shouldn't have come. I should have stayed home like Edward wanted. And now I'd put Marc at risk, too.

I gathered up my phone quickly, ready to run out to the car, but when I turned, Marc had closed the door.

"What are you doing? Marc, we have to go!"

"I don't think so," he said, moving towards me. His smile sent a shiver burning down my spine. "I have some friends on their way to meet you and while we wait, you can tell me about that scar on your wrist."

-o0o-

 **A/N: Yes, it's Bella's flat in Alice's vision. High fives and fist bumps to the reader who guessed right a few chapters ago! : )**

 **UPDATE: THERE IS NO CHAPTER 24 YET. There was a technical glitch (I'm hopeless with technology so who knows what I did) and somehow chapter 23 posted twice. I deleted the extra chapter, but if you've got an alert for chapter 24, ignore it. Chapter 24 is still in the works : )**

 **Just to clarify, the Volturi's plane is at a private airport on the outskirts of Sydney. The Cullens will fly into Sydney's regular international airport.**

 **Thank you all for your reviews and kind words, I appreciate them all so much and I also appreciate your patience when chapters are a long time coming. MWAH! xx : )**

 **I really am sorry about the cliffie. I tried to end it differently, but it just didn't work. The next chapter should be within the next week, though : )**

 **Chapter is un-beta'd. Any stuff-ups are mine! : )**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-o0o-**

Everything was wrong. Out of context.

It was the cornices I was supposed to be worried about. Cornices and flames. Not Marc. And yet, he had suddenly become the most dangerous thing in my world. I just wasn't sure how. Or why.

His dark hair flopped over of his pale blue eyes. It was a face I thought I knew, the face of a friend, but I'd been wrong.

He smiled a too-wide smile that made my skin want to crawl off my back. _Who the fuck_ _was he_? My mind raced, trying to find an answer, a connection, some clue from the past eight months that would explain the last thirty seconds. But I came up empty.

Was this something to do with Marion? Or was this about the Volturi?

I couldn't even consider _that_ possibility and I pushed it quickly from my thoughts.

Marc's eyes were excited as they focused on the silver crescent on my wrist and he reached for me. My shock and confusion were quickly shifting to fear and panic but some deep instinct told me to act normally.

Stay calm, it said. Stay calm and pretend you don't know what he's talking about.

 _Lie._

"This scar?" I moved my hand out of reach as casually as I could, hoping he wouldn't see how I shook. "Dog bite. I was only three or four when it happened, I don't remember much about it. Only what my Mom told me."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes. Confusion? Fear, maybe? His lips thinned and he licked at them.

"Never seen a dog bite like that," he said.

"Depends on the dog. Look, we have to go and I _really_ need that coffee."

"Why are you so eager to get out of here?"

"I'll tell you over the coffee. Come on."

I made to move past him, but he blocked me and I dropped my phone again.

Falling end over end, it seemed to move in slow motion and as it hit the floor I could see Edward's number still on the screen, ready and waiting to be called. Help was just a single click away. I watched my hand reaching, fingers curling, ready to pull it back into my grasp. And then everything sped up as Marc beat me to it. My lifeline was snatched from me, switched off, and stowed in his pocket before I could even blink.

My heart dropped to my toes.

"I know it's not a dog bite," he said quietly. "So, you going to tell me the truth?"

"What truth?" I tried to look annoyed instead of scared. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about but I'm leaving." I had to get outside. Out on the street where there were cars and people and safety. Outside in fresh air and sunshine where I could think clearly. I started heading for the door again.

This time Marc didn't block me.

Instead, he pulled out a gun. Hand steady, eyes bright, he pointed it at me.

"Just in case," he said.

He was weirdly calm and that was almost as scary as the gun.

"Um, Marc..." I backed away. "What..."

"I know, it's a shock. You thought we were friends but now things have changed. Well, for _you_ they've changed, not for me, but you're smart, you'll catch up pretty quickly. And we both know a vampire left that scar on your arm but if you won't tell me about it, that's okay. I'll find out once you meet Aro."

"A...Aro?"

Oh, my God.

This _was_ about the Volturi.

My nightmare had just become reality and horror pulsed through me, filling my veins with ice, stealing my breath.

"Do you know about the Volturi?" He watched me closely. "I've always wondered. By the look on your face I think you do."

"I...I don't..."

"Yeah, you do. You definitely know," Marc smiled again. "You're a terrible liar."

Fear was threatening to consume me, but I pushed it back. Fear would get me nowhere. I had to plan. I had to find a way to get out of here and warn Edward.

Of course, the gun complicated things.

"What's this all about?" I asked. "How are you...I don't understand..." None of this made sense.

"Why don't you tell me?" Marc wandered around the room; cocky and confident. Smug, even. "We could start with Marion Tinsley. How much do you know about her? And what spooked you a while ago?" He looked up at the ceilings. "Something changed, you went from excited to freaked out in about two seconds flat." His gaze came back to me. "That's why I've acted now, because you looked like you were about to bolt. Originally we were going to take a drive after the coffee."

I was wondering about way more than why he'd acted now, and Alice's vision had slipped a long way down my list of priorities. I was too busy trying to understand; trying to figure out how to play this, as I backed further away from him.

"Is there a secret message in the ceiling?" He grinned. "The cornices _are_ pretty awful. Anyway, doesn't matter. Aro will know once he touches you. I'm guessing you know about his tactile telepathy?"

I hugged myself, wishing I had a can of Charlie's pepper spray in my bag as I ignored his question for one of my own.

"Where were we going to drive to?"

"The barn."

Marc was wandering round the room again, rolling his shoulders like his skin was too tight for him. "We've rented a property out at Dural for a few days. Acreage. Nice place." He tugged his phone from his pocket. "Take a seat," he said and now a note of uncertainty crept into his voice. "We might be here for a while."

I folded myself awkwardly onto the floor and watched him as he texted. It did take a while. For maybe fifteen minutes his phone pinged over and over as he messaged with someone – back and forth.

He held the phone in one hand, the other drooping slightly with the weight of the gun while his mind was focused elsewhere.

I wondered if there was something I could hit him with but there was only my leather satchel bag and somehow I didn't think that would do the job. It would maybe give him a bruise at best.

The door was only a few feet away though and that gave me another idea. If I could just get outside and scream my lungs out Marc would be sure to run the other way. There were always people walking up and down. Attention would be the last thing he'd want.

He was angled slightly away from me, his head down, bowed low over the phone screen. I looked from him to the door and back again. It would only take a shuffle and a lunge, a pull on the handle and I'd be free. And I'd be a moving target, giving him only a small chance of hitting me. I took a slow breath, shifted slightly to my left, and Marc's head came up. So did the gun.

"If you think I won't use this," he said, "you're wrong. I will. Not to kill you, just to stop you getting away." He cocked his head. "I'll take your knee cap out with one shot."

I swallowed hard.

"People would hear."

"They'll think it's a car back firing."

"You'd take the risk?"

"Yep," he nodded. "You're my ticket to immortality and I'm not giving that up."

At last, some information. A precious puzzle piece.

"You want to be a vampire?"

"Oh yeah," he said as his phone pinged again. He frowned at the screen. "They're coming here." He shoved the phone away and began pacing. "Not ideal, but they want you contained. They're worried I could lose you if we move from here, now that you know what's going on."

His earlier cockiness had faded, he seemed unsettled now. Nervous.

"What _is_ going on, Marc?"

"I think you know." He stopped and stared down at me. "And Aro's very interested in meeting you because of it."

"Because of what?"

"Because of _who_. Marion."

Another puzzle piece clicked into place. Whatever they wanted Marion for, they must think I'm involved with it too. Shit. My anxiety went up a notch, if that was even possible.

"I don't know anything about her," I said.

"We'll see," Marc murmured.

He sighed heavily, pushed his hair back again, and resumed pacing. I watched as he strode back and forth, tapping the gun against his thigh.

Outside, daylight was fading. Shadows were creeping across the floor. My watch said it was almost five o'clock. Edward would be here in an hour. He'd walk right into this and that couldn't happen.

My anxiety became a thinly-veiled anguish.

"I'll go with you," I said quickly. "I'll go quietly. To meet Aro."

I had to get away from here, and if it meant agreeing to go the Volturi, I'd do it. And once I was outside...screaming was still the plan.

Marc's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Why so eager?"

"I...don't want anyone else caught up in this. The neighbours next door, upstairs."

"There's no-one here," he said. "Isn't going to be anyone here. Beryl's gone out, there's still 'do not cross' tape across the entry to the upstairs." He shrugged. "Just us."

"Still risky," I said. "Beryl could come back..."

"Vampires can be very discreet, Bella." He smiled a knowing smile. "I'm sure you're aware of that. They can be in and out without anybody knowing. Especially when you have a shadowy lane out the back, behind your building."

I could taste the panic, like poison, on my tongue. It was bitter and choking and I couldn't swallow past it.

"Please, I'll go with you. I promise I won't try to get away."

Marc's gaze narrowed then lowered himself onto the floor opposite me, legs crossed, gun resting on his thigh.

"No, I don't think we'll go anywhere. I've got my instructions and I'm going to follow them." He cocked his head. "You really are a mystery," he said and his eyes fell on my wrist again. I jerked my sleeve down, covering it.

"I could say the same about you," I snapped. "Who _are you_?"

He shrugged. "Soon it won't matter who I am. I'll be someone new." His eyes were excited again.

I turned away.

Silence stretched between us. My gaze was fixed on the door, heart pounding as I tried to control my panic, and think. Had Alice seen what was happening? Was Edward already on his way? Oh my God, what if he was?

I had to get out of here. Now.

I gnawed on my thumbnail.

What if I called Marc's bluff about the kneecaps and just got up and ran? Or could I climb out the bathroom window? I hadn't even seen the new bathroom yet, I didn't know if the window was big enough for an escape, but it was worth a try - I'd just tell him I needed to use the...

"Did it hurt?" Marc's voice broke through my thoughts and I jumped.

"Huh?"

"Did it hurt?" He gestured at my wrist. "I've heard it does."

Somehow, through the terror and turmoil of my thoughts, his question managed to surprise me. How could he know about Aro's gift, but not about the agony of the change?

"Um, yeah," I nodded. "It hurt. Dog bites usually do."

He smirked and looked towards the window, his foot tapping out a jagged rhythm against the floor.

"Whatever," he said. "I know it'll be worth it in the end. Especially when I'm part of the Volturi Guard."

There was such pride in his voice now, and when he looked at me there was expectation in his eyes. Like he was waiting for me to be impressed.

Something clicked in my brain, I thought I was starting to understand and in a blinding moment of clarity I realised that maybe the way to save Edward wasn't by running, but by getting Marc to talk.

I shifted, turning towards him.

"Um, so, you want to be part of the Guard?"

He smiled, my interest obviously pleasing him.

"That's the plan," he said.

"And that's why you're here now, doing this?"

"It's part of it."

"Marion's part of it too?"

He nodded and stood up. He seemed distracted now, restless, as he wandered over to the kitchen and started opening cupboards and drawers.

"Did you choose the paint colours?" he asked.

"Er, no."

"Tiles are nice."

"I haven't really looked yet."

"Huh! Builders have left you some presents." From the cupboard next to the stove he took a packet of screws and a large tin of paint thinners and set them on the counter. "Not very professional," he said. "Leaving their stuff behind."

He licked his lips again, then turned on the tap and drank directly from the stream of water.

"Why's Marion so important?" I asked as I watched him, wondering if he'd answer. I was surprised when he did.

"Two reasons." He wiped his mouth on his sleeve as he straightened. "She could be a threat, or she could be the most valuable asset the Volturi's ever had. Aro's just has to find out which one it is."

"And he's trusted you to with that job."

That look of pride was back, but then Marc's face fell slightly.

"Do you know where she is?" he asked.

"No," I lied.

"What do you know about her?"

"Nothing."

He studied me closely, then looked away.

"Will it be a problem for you with Aro? That Marion got away?"

"It's a nuisance," he said. "But I have you, and that makes up for a lot."

Marc pulled back the blinds and looked out the kitchen window, checking the alleyway, it seemed.

"You know, I had no idea you were involved with the Volturi." I was hoping to stroke his ego before I asked the question that burned on my tongue. "You've kept that well hidden. Aro obviously chose the right person for the job."

Shit, was that too obvious?

Apparently not, because the shit-eating grin was back.

"It was hard," he said. "Trying not to give myself away. That's why I never mentioned your scar, I didn't want to put you on alert. And now you've proven that you do know what I'm talking about." The smirk made a return, too. Somehow I managed a smile.

"I guess there's no point hiding it from you anymore, is there?"

"Nope," he said. "So, you want to tell me your story?"

I lowered my eyes, tracing lines on the timber floor with my finger, following the pattern of the wood grain.

"Maybe. But before I do..." I looked up, made eye contact and held his gaze. "My boyfriend's supposed to be meeting me here at six, and I'm guessing the less humans mixed up in this, the better. Right?"

Marc's eyes narrowed as he studied me closely but he didn't speak.

"He, er, believes the dog bite story." I shrugged a shoulder. "Let me call him. I'll tell him you didn't show so I'm going shopping and then I'll meet him back at his place later. Or I'll text him if you don't want me to talk to him. You can even type the message. Please." It felt like my heart had stopped. My whole world was suspended while I waited for Marc's answer. "Come on. I fixed your database for you."

He actually chuckled at that.

"You're right," he said. "I don't need any extra humans involved. So text him." He pulled my phone from his pocket and my relief was so sweet, it almost hurt. Edward was safe. He'd go home to the beach and wait for me and...

I wouldn't think beyond that just now. The main thing was to keep him out of this.

"And I was meeting a friend later." Alice. I had to cover her as well in case she'd seen something. "Can I text her too? Tell her not to worry?"

"Sure. Better to keep the humans away. The boyfriend...is he the old friend you went to the Hunter Valley with after I cancelled on you?"

"Yeah." I held out my hand for the phone, so thankful I'd never mentioned Edward by name.

"I didn't realise it was serious." Marc cocked his head. "I never thought to ask, what's his name?"

"Anthony."

"Yeah? Anthony? Not Edward Masen?"

It felt like I'd been punched. The air whooshed out of me and I had to gasp hard to get a new lungful.

"Wh..."

"I'm smarter than that, Bella." Marc slipped my phone away again and his smile was brilliant, victorious. "You wanna hear how smart I am?"

I nodded dumbly, because despite the almost overwhelming urge to scream while I went running for the door, I knew I needed to hear this. As far as Marc knew, Edward was still just my human boyfriend. Or had that just changed?

"You've been spying on me?"

He considered. "Sort of. It's really an incredible story. You wanna hear it?" He was still grinning, and so pleased with himself that his words came tumbling out so fast I could barely keep up.

"Marion had been eluding the Volturi for years, by the time they'd track her down somewhere, she was on the move again. Always sunny countries, too, and that made it so much harder for them to get to her. But Aro trusted me to find her here, in Sydney."

"Be...because you're Australian?"

"Yep. Local knowledge, human, I was the man for the job. It was like it was meant to happen. Destiny, maybe. Me arriving in Volterra right when they needed someone. And it wasn't too hard to track her to the job at the museum, only took a few weeks, and after that I thought it would probably only take a month to find out what I could, watch who she hung out with, where she went."

"Why?" My voice came out as a croak. "Why bother with all that?"

"To get the full picture. Aro'd see it all in her memories anyway once we got her back to Italy, but it was better to find out as much as I could while she was still here. If there were others who needed to be eliminated, the sooner we knew about it, the better."

"By others, you mean..."

"People who might be helping her." He gave me a pointed look and my already racing heart jolted into overdrive

"You mean _me_? No, no, no, you've got everything wrong. Marc, you have to listen, I don't know anything about Marion."

I went to stand but he waved me back into place with the gun.

"My job was to make sure no stone was unturned, no loose ends." He continued on, ignoring me. "And it shouldn't have taken long, except there was a construction job going on at the museum. That fancy ceiling." He smiled smugly.

"One of the engineers was different. Most people wouldn't even notice, but I'd been around vampires long enough to pick up on a few things, like the way he'd turn his head sometimes, and the way he walked. It wasn't vampire-smooth, but it wasn't quite your average human, either. His reflexes were sharper. And he had a glare that would make any vampire proud."

Oh dear God, no, he couldn't know about Edward being a vampire. Could he?

The shiver than snaked along my spine was sharp, like I was being sliced open and ice poured into the wound. I hugged myself hard, as if that might stop me falling apart.

"The first time I saw him I was curious, so I came back again. And then a third time. That third time he was wearing a hard hat and when he took it off he ruffled his hair." Marc demonstrated, running his fingers over the top and up the back of his head. "I was looking for it by then, and I saw it. The scar. It was faint, but it was there. That was just over a year ago. His name was Edward Masen, and I was pretty sure that he wasn't as human as he seemed to be."

My world span and I felt sick. I bit hard into my lip to stop the nausea and tears burned my eyes. This happened before I'd even arrived in Australia.

It was Edward he'd wanted all along.

Marc was talking again, his voice a distant mumble that was barely registering through the turmoil in my mind, but I made myself focus. I _needed_ to focus, because there might be something in his words that I could use.

"So I started to keep watch on him," Marc continued. "I contacted Italy, told Aro what I'd seen and to say that he was interested is an understatement. He gave me more time to poke around so I found myself a job, somewhere to live, tried applying for work at the museum..." He shrugged again. "I was hanging out there a lot in my spare time so I'd change my appearance...a suit one day, dressed like a tourist the next. Glasses. No glasses. Hair brushed back. Hair parted on the side. I don't _think_ he ever noticed, except once. He stared straight at me. Like he was trying to see inside me." He frowned. "Like he could read my mind."

I gasped softly, my hand flying to my mouth.

"What?" Marc asked.

When I shook my head he shrugged and kept talking.

"I was pretty sure he suspected something so I cut down the visits for a while."

I couldn't believe this. None of it seemed real and if I shut my eyes I could almost convince myself that I was caught in some horrible nightmare. I pressed my forehead to my knees as tears fell down my cheeks.

"Anyway..." Marc's voice brought me back to my sickening reality. "A few months later I met you and you reached out to shake my hand and _boom_! There was that scar." He started chuckling and I looked up. "Jackpot! It couldn't be a coincidence and there was going to be a special place for me in Volterra. Of course, I had to prove my theories, Aro doesn't stand for maybes or mistakes. I had to be sure. You didn't _seem_ to know about each other, and that's why I never asked you about your scar, I didn't want to put you on alert while I was trying to find out what was going on. And it's obvious you haven't been a vampire, you don't have the moves, but that's as far as I got. You've been tough to crack."

Was this like drowning? I wondered as another wave of fear and panic crashed over me and I gasped for air. My heart had been pounding so hard for so long, my chest hurt, but somehow I managed a question.

"Is that why you asked me to fix your database? To see me react to his name?"

"What?" The shock on Marc's face confused me. "No. That was because I'd stuffed up the data base, but...are you saying he's in the database? He's a customer at Thunder Road?" Marc shook his head and huffed a laugh. "I didn't know. Wow, that's crazy. Must have been before I worked there. Damn that could have made my job a lot easier if I'd known." He rubbed his hand over his face. "Not that it matters now. It was the night at the museum that sealed the deal though."

He glanced at the windows and checked the time on his phone.

"I took you to the launch of the new wing because I wanted to see your reaction when you saw him. But he didn't show. I got my reaction though, when you saw his picture in that presentation. It was obvious you knew him, and in some significant sort of way, so I invited you to the Hunter Valley. I was going to pump you for information over wine and cheese, but when I reported back the new info to Volterra, I got called in."

"You weren't sick that week when you cancelled."

"Nope. Fast trip to Italy."

"And now Aro's seen everything you've seen?"

"Yep." He grinned a fresh grin. "Marion. Edward. You. And even though it looks like Marion's got away again, Aro's very, very interested in your boyfriend. That's why they've all come, because this could be huge, and we don't know how far it reaches. Humans who've been vampires. Human's who've survived vampire bites. People in league with Marion. There's something big going on."

For a long moment I stared at him. Stared into his too-bright eyes and the gut-churning fear that shook my body began to harden into a throbbing hatred. And with that hatred came clarity, and I found a new voice.

"You're doing all this to be a vampire?" Edward had talked about people like this. Vampire wanna-be's.

"Pretty much." Marc nodded. "I've always been drawn to the myths. Always thought there was some truth in them. I spent a lot of years following whispers, and rumours, and stories. Eventually they led me to Volterra."

"You want the speed and the strength?"

"And the immortality. But I've found out it's more than that. It's about keeping the world in balance, that's the big thing. I just get to be fast and strong and immortal while I do it."

He wasn't making sense.

"Keeping the world in balance? What the fuck is that about?"

He blinked. "I doubt you'd understand, given the people you hang out with."

I shook my head, there was obviously something I was missing. I was also pretty sure he was just Aro's pawn, even if he didn't realise it.

"Look, Marc, I don't know what you've been told, but what makes you think Aro will change you? I thought he only surrounded himself with gifted people." I tried to remember what Edward had said, and the names Alice had listed. "They all have special abilities, don't they? Aro with his tactile telepathy, Demetri can track anyone anywhere..."

"You do know more," Marc whispered, his eyes gleaming. "A lot more. I _knew_ it. I knew I was on the right track. Aro didn't recognise you when he saw you in my memories, but you obviously know people who know the Volturi. Oh, this is bigger than I thought and it's going to get me in so good with them."

"Really? What, you think he's going to make you his right hand man? Second in charge? You'd better think again because I can promise you, this isn't going to end well."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh? I thought you'd just decided that I know _a lot more_ than I was talking about. And that's how I know you're in as much danger as me."

His eyes narrowed, suddenly wary. My words had obviously struck a nerve, he moved uncomfortably, frowning. I could feel a subtle shift in power and I seized on it.

"Aro's a collector, Marc. He likes to gather people with talents he can use. What have you got to offer? What human ability do you have that he'll want to enhance and keep around for eternity?"

He didn't answer. Instead his lips pulled tight and he stared down at the gun.

"I've discovered you and Edward, that'll stand for something."

"And after that?"

"You don't know..."

"Oh, I think I do."

I was bluffing, but my anger was keeping me going. And as Marc's bravado began to falter beneath my glare, I began to see things in a different light.

"Did Heidi find you wandering in the square?"

His head snapped back to me, eyes surprised. "How did you know..."

"That's how it works, isn't it? Heidi goes fishing, she reels you in. Any other time you'd just be dinner, but they needed an Australian and they decided they could use you."

My heart was pounding, not with fear but with anticipation. My anger was leading me in the right direction; there was hesitation in Marc's face and if I played things right, I'd be out of here very soon and Marc would disappear too.

"How many humans live in the castle? It's not many, is it? You. Marco Marretti..."

His eyes widened as the name fell from my lips.

"Is that a requirement?" I asked. "To be called Marc?"

"Shut up!"

My heart clenched, I'd pushed too far. I didn't want him angry. Just doubting and scared.

I glanced away, towards the windows where the light was fading, and tried a more sympathetic route.

"I don't think it's going to end the way you want." My voice was softer now. Gentle. I looked back at Marc and there was fresh determination in his eyes.

"I'm about to offer Aro the biggest discovery of his very long life. I think this is going to end exactly how I want."

"And you'll kill Edward and me to get it."

He frowned, blinking. He opened his mouth, and shut it again. Then he shook his head.

"You think we're in on some plot with Marion? Say we were, you'd send me to my death? Or did Aro tell you he'd rehabilitate us? Or put us in vampire jail?"

"He said there are ways of dealing with..."

"Oh, I'm sure he did."

"You would swear your loyalty to him."

"Oh, for fucks sake!"

I stood up, and this time he didn't stop me. He was taller than me but I met him, eye-to-eye.

"But what about you, Marc? I don't know what sort of threat Marion is supposed to be, but what do you think Aro will do to you when he reads my mind, or Edward's, and sees we have no connection to her? When he sees we're no threat to him. Because that's what he'll see. And he'll know you wasted his time and brought him here on a wild goose chase."

Marc swallowed.

"You still survived a vampire bite," he said. "Edward has still been a vampire, Aro saw him in my thoughts and agreed. And you said yourself, Aro collects people. He'll probably..."

"What? Adopt us?"

"I don't..." He shook his head again.

"Have you actually thought all this through, Marc? Do you know there are vampire laws? And number one is _humans can't know._ You think Aro's going to let us live?"

"I'll talk to him."

"And you think he's going to listen to you? You think he cares what you think? Or what you want?"

"He's trusted me with..."

"You're a means to an end, Marc! That's all you are! And when he's got what he wants, then you just become a human who knows too much. He'll snap your neck or drain you dry!"

"Shut up!"

He started pacing again, heavy stomping steps as he criss-crossed the room. I cocked my head, watching him closely.

"Bloody hell," I whispered. "How did you get involved with all this? Did Aro welcome you with open arms when you rocked up to the castle?"

He smiled, suddenly smug now.

"Actually, he _was_ very welcoming, yes. Charming, even. And when he shook my hand he knew I'd been searching, knew what I wanted. He asked if I'd consider helping them with a project, in return for immortality and a place with them. Then he told me about Marion."

"And what is it about Marion? What?"

He wasn't going to answer. His mouth was set, jaw hard. He was obviously in over his head, and I needed to try a different approach.

"Marc, please, I'm trying to help you. Look, lets get out of here." I gestured to the door, to the outside world. "Lets go before they get here and then we can talk."

"No," he said, calmly. "You tell me I can't trust Aro, but how do I know I can trust you?"

That pulled me up short. It seemed vampires weren't the only ones capable of whiplash-inducing mood changes.

"Me? I...of course you can trust me."

"Yeah? And how do I _know_ you're not mixed up with Marion and the Romanian's, too?"

"What? What are you..."

"You going to play dumb again? I think we're past that now, aren't we?"

"Marc, I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Yeah? Really?" He raised a skeptical brow. "You're not part of the Romanian coven's plan to overthrow the Volturi?"

"What? No! What have they told you?"

"Everything." He was pacing again but it was different now, his steps faster, head up, blazing eyes on mine. "Do you have any idea what would happen if the Romanians came back into power?"

Oh my God, Edward had mentioned something about this.

"And you think Marion...Marc, you can't be serious."

"There's some connection," Marc snapped. "Between her and them. And Aro thinks she has a gift. She got away from Heidi, and _no-one_ gets away from Heidi. But somehow Marion convinced her to let her go, even though they'd made it inside the castle doors."

For a fleeting second I was back in the museum, finding myself at the exit of the Viking exhibition without even realising the tour was over.

"Marc, please listen to me, it's not..."

"She's persuasive as a human," Marc went on, clearly not listening. "Aro saw it in Heidi's thoughts. As a vampire that ability would be enhanced. She could make people do anything she wanted them. If the Romanian's aren't using her to regain power, then Aro can use her to maintain his."

All this was making my head spin, and I tried hard to keep up with everything Marc was telling me.

"Marc, I don't think the Romanians are trying to..."

"No? You don't? Then let me give you a history lesson." He began circling me and I turned slowly, following him, keeping watch on him and the gun.

"Stefan and Vladimir, the coven leaders, didn't believe in concealing their existence." Marc's voice was confident again, smooth - an expert warming to his subject. Or perhaps just a follower parroting the thoughts of his leader. I wasn't sure yet which one it was.

"They had their own version of a Guard," Marc continued, still circling. "And they ruled over humans _and_ vampires. For thousands of miles around they were known, and feared. And they liked it that way. They were ruthless. Cruel. Demanding slave labour and human sacrifices. But the Volturi stopped all that. They overthrew them, even though their own members were few. Aro's smart, you see. He saw the potential in the gifts of those he kept close, while the Romanian's valued brute strength, but when it came down to it, physical strength meant nothing and the Romanian Guard were helpless. The Volturi defeated them, and destroyed most of their coven." He shrugged. "The Volturi have been the ruling vampire power ever since. They keep things in check. They eliminate rogue vampires and sometimes the humans that help them. They have rules to keep humans safe. No more slavery. No more human sacrifices. Can you imagine if the Romanians had been allowed to continue?" He shook his head ruefully. "The world is a better place because of the Volturi."

My mouth fell open. This was what he believed?

"Marc, that's not..."

He stopped circling. "You do know the history, don't you?"

"Yes." Edward had told me just two days before. It seemed so long ago now, standing in his living room with the sea crashing in the background. More than anything I wanted to be back there right now. I wanted to hear the waves and feel them roll over my feet while Edward held me in his arms and we planned dinner together. "Yes, I know the history."

"Then you should understand," Marc said. "You say you're not involved with Marion, so if that's true would you really want a return to those times? Humans would be little more than cattle. Can you not see how important the Volturi are?"

I shook my head. "I see what you're saying, but they've twisted things, Marc. They've made it sound like they're the heroes, but they're not."

He shrugged. "We'll see," he said, and resumed circling."Aro still keeps a close watch on them. Vladimir and Stefan survived the original battle, and they've made a few attempts to regroup over the centuries, but each time they'd fail. It's possible they're trying again now, though. And Marion might be part of a new strategy. Maybe you are, too. And Edward. The three of you, and maybe there are more of you, could be a first step towards another grab at power. Maybe you're gathering information. Recruiting. Looking for others who'd be interested in join..."

"I'm a fucking scientist, Marc! And Edward's a bloody engineer! Marion's a historian, we're not some supernatural HR department! We're not plotting together to overthrow Aro!" I dragged my hands through my hair. "How do you even know if Marion has a connection with Romania?"

"She told Heidi she was on holidays from the University of Bucharest, coming to see some of the places she'd read about in her research." There was a glint of something in his eye. "Heidi puts people at ease, they talk to her," he said. "It's her gift."

"But that's all Marion said to her?"

"It was enough for Aro," Marc was defensive again. "Her interaction with Heidi made him suspicious."

"Paranoid, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask."

This was fucking ridiculous.

"So tell me, if Marion was a spy for Stefan and Vladimir, why would she be so open about where she was from and what she was doing? Because that doesn't make sense."

Doubt flashed quickly across Marc's features, giving me a faint spark of hope. He rolled his shoulders.

"Maybe," he said. "Maybe not. But whatever Marion is, and whatever you are, we'll find out. It can't be a coincidence that you're all here in Sydney together. But the Romanian's won't get far, the Volturi will keep control, and I'm going to be part of it." He puffed out his chest, chin up, so proud of himself. I groaned and dropped my head into my hands.

"Seriously? You think you're going to be some sort of vampire super hero? Save the world with fangs and a cape!"

"They don't have fa..."

"I know they don't have fangs!" I sucked in a breath, my chest pumping hard. "Trust me, Marc, you won't be saving the world."

"If it weren't for the Volturi, vampires would be going around killing humans..."

"And you think they don't? Stop circling me! You're like a fucking shark!" I took a step towards him, noting the surprise in his eyes. He actually took a step back. "How do you think vampires feed? Do you know?"

"Of course I know!"

"And you're okay with that? Killing humans to feed yourself?"

"It doesn't have to be that way."

My jaw dropped, my words coming out as a whisper. "What did he tell you? That you can take a sip and let them go? Or did he say that they bring in blood from a slaughter house?"

He shook his head and turned away.

"Or are you just blocking it out? Marc, what do you think Heidi does out there in the square in Volterra? What happens to the tourists she _puts at ease._ Have you seen?"

He was frowning now, I could see his profile in the pale late-afternoon light, and he stayed silent, ignoring my question.

"Either you don't know, or you don't want to know. But I can tell you it's not a field trip to see the castle."

"You don't know what you're talk..."

"They're fucking dinner, Marc! Entree, main course, and dessert!"

"It's not like that! There are...ways around it."

"What ways?"

He shook his head. "That information comes later," he mumbled. "Aro will tell me just before he changes me."

"Oh Marc..." I rubbed my hands over my face. "You can't be this stupid. You can't be."

He gave a derisive laugh and his mood had shifted once more.

"That's meant as an insult, right? Except you're so way off with that assessment, Bella, it barely even registers. You think Aro would trust me with something like this if I..."

"I think I've already made it clear what I think about Aro and his motives." I looked at him through my fingers. "You said you lived with them. How long were you at Volterra?"

He squared his shoulders. "Five weeks."

"And what did you do there? Who did you see?"

He blinked and looked away. At first I thought he mightn't answer. But I also knew he'd be eager to boast.

"Aro. I saw him a few times. Marcus and Caius, too. They explained the history, their role in the world, the situation with Marion. Demetri, because he's the tracker and he gave me the information he had on her." He glanced down at his feet. "Heidi. I spent a lot of time with Heidi."

"Because she kept you feeling calm and at ease, am I right?"

"That's not why," he murmured. "It was different with me."

He stopped and cleared his throat.

"Different, how?"

"It just was."

Was he blushing? Oh my God, was he in love with her?

"Marco Marretti..." he went on quickly. "He's human, as you know. He fixed me up with cash and a mobile phone and booked flights. Gianna, she's the receptionist. She's human."

"They have a receptionist?"

"For when the tourists come in."

I shook my head again.

"So you can see," Marc continued. "They have humans working _with them_ , they're not the animals you try to make me think they are. I had a beautiful room, great food. I played chess with Aro." He puffed his chest again. "There's an amazing library, I spent a lot of time in there."

"Okay, so they showed you a very civilised side of themselves. Did they let you out of the castle at any stage? Go out and look around? Fresh air and sunshine?"

"There was no need for me to leave. But they have a courtyard. That's where I learned what happens when they go in the sun." His eyes took on an awed expression.

"Forget the glitter Marc, have you seen how a vampire attacks their prey?"

His face dropped.

"Have you?" he demanded, and his voice was defiant now.

"I've seen enough."

The time for discussion back and forth was over. I needed to go for the jugular and get myself out of here.

"It's not two tiny pin pricks on the neck, if that's what you're imagining." I pulled up my sleeve and thrust my wrist close to his face. His eyes widened as he focused on the silver crescent. "It's not exactly discreet. Not neat and tidy." I lowered my arm. "And you've seen Edward's scar. Neither his, nor mine, were done in a normal hunt. Neither were done to feed. Both were in controlled situations." I thought of James' cold eyes as he'd bitten into me. It had been so different to Jasper's frenzied attack.

"They glossed over that, didn't they, Marc? They played chess and were the perfect hosts and told you old stories about victories and battles won against the bad guys. But they didn't tell you about their most fundamental driving force."

Marc was frowning, I could see the faintest chink in his armour, and my voice was steady and strong as I went in for the kill.

"When a vampire hunts, when they _feed_ , it's like a frenzy, and it's almost impossible for them to stop. They don't have fangs, but their teeth are sharp, perfect for ripping and tearing. And they want their victims to be terrified because the adrenalin sweetens the blood, so they need the chase. They might toy with the human, play with them like a cat with a mouse, but then when playtime is over..." Now I drew on a long-ago cafeteria conversation with Edward. "Have you ever seen a bear attack on one of those wildlife shows? If you have, then you should be able to visualise what I'm talking about."

He was shaking his head again, but I kept going.

"That's why they've kept those details from you so far, because Aro knows it would scare the shit out of you if you knew the truth, and then they'd have to kill you and they wouldn't have someone to find Marion for them. Aro is evil, Marc. And he's using you. He wants you to be evil, too."

"I know there are vampires out there like that!" He snapped. "But not all of them. And it's the Volturi's job to keep them under control. To keep the human population safe."

I actually laughed. "Then why kill humans who find out about vampires? Wouldn't that be a bit hypocritical, if they want to keep them safe?"

He looked away, clearly unable to answer.

"I won't be safe if you hand me over to Aro. He'll find out I have nothing to do with the Romanians but he'll kill me anyway because I know about his world. How is that keeping me safe?"

Marc ducked his head, shuffled his feet.

"You don't want to look past the surface, do you? You don't want to examine all the contradictions? All the faults in his arguments. Because you want to be a super-hero." There was obviously a back-story here that I didn't have time to get into right now.

"You don't understand," Marc murmured.

"I do understand. I wish I didn't, but I do." I'd seen too much, I knew too much. And a new anger rose in me now. A fury that built and burned. "This won't end well for either of us, Marc but if you won't save yourself, then I'm going to save _myself_ because, fuck it, after eight years and everything I've been through I deserve my happily ever after. And I am _this_ close to it, so in the words of my friend Beryl, Aro can _bugger off_! Now, I'm not asking you to let me go, I'm just going. If you're smart, you'll go too."

I could see him wavering, then he looked sharply at the door.

"Too late," he said. "They're here."

-0-

 **A/N: Next chapter – tomorrow. It was actually the second part of this chapter but it got too long, so I've cut it in half and it's ready to go : )**

 **Lot of information in this chapter and it took me ages to get to a point where it didn't sound like a Q &A. It's unbeta'd too, so any mistakes are mine. If it's too confusing, that's my fault too : )**

 **Apologies for the delay in getting this posted. When I said it would be up "hopefully within the week", I really was hopeful, however, a situation came up unexpectedly at work that required my attention, so for about ten days my writing time was limited to sneaky lunch-breaks and a sleepy hour before bed.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-o0o-**

 **In the boardroom of a Sydney office tower**

 **4.10pm**

 **Edward's point of view...**

Edward checked his watch again. Then he checked his phone, discreetly keeping it on his knee beneath the boardroom table.

Bella hadn't replied to his last message. But then, he'd only sent it ten minutes ago, and she was probably busy with the real estate agent, or her friend Marc.

He'd be seeing her at six o'clock anyway, and the thought of holding her in his arms, warmed him.

He hated being apart from her, especially now. The stress of the past few days had nearly brought him undone and it was hard to believe now, sitting here at work, that any of it had happened. The world was still turning, his coffee was hot and his printer had jammed and he was arguing with his colleagues about a wombat corridor in relation to the proposed construction of a bridge. Yep, everything was business as usual. Just like Bella wanted.

He shuddered softly at the thought of her trying to leave him, even though he'd known it to be a lie. His stomach roiled as he remembered his own plan to change, go back to the darkness, to save her.

They were as bad as each other.

Maybe that's why they were so right for each other.

A powerpoint presentation was in progress now. Edward watched the slides, scanning the bullet points while the CEO, Luke, read them out loud to the group. His eyes felt heavy and he closed them for just a second.

A part of him still questioned whether they should have gone to work today. This morning he'd struggled with the mental shift from the vampire world to the corporate one, but as the day progressed and he'd answered emails and held meetings, he'd decided it was a like a _fuck you_ to the Volturi. He and Bella would live their lives. They would have their happily ever after. And Aro's schedule hadn't changed, Edward had been checking the flight records every hour. The Volturi leader and his cronies would fly back to Italy at eight o'clock tonight.

Edward knew this wasn't over though. Even when the Volturi were gone, he'd still have to keep tabs on Marion and try to find out what the story was, but for now, things were looking good.

Just a few more hours...

Then he and Bella and his family would all be together. Tonight would be a night for celebration. And Rose and Emmett and the kids would come back from Hawaii. They might even fly back tomorrow.

He rolled his shoulders and relaxed back in his seat, taking in the harbour view through the panoramic windows.

It was sunny outside, the sky a perfect blue.

Like the ring in his pocket.

He smiled to himself and while his colleagues talked about the cost impact of building the bridge fifty metres downstream from the currently proposed site, he reached into this pocket. His fingers curled around the small velvet box that nestled there.

It hadn't been his plan to buy a ring when he'd gone out to get some lunch today, but there it had been, in the Cartier window as he'd walked past.

A stunning rectangular sapphire, surrounded by diamonds. It had been sparkling, almost as if it was winking at him. So he'd stepped inside for a closer look.

The blue of the stone was rich and vivid. It had made him think of the ocean and clear skies; the things Bella loved. The things he could give her now his life wasn't lived in the shadows. And this shade of blue was his favourite colour on her.

He'd held the ring carefully between his fingers, tilting it this way and that so it caught the sunbeam that fell through the store window. Then he'd put it on his pinky finger and it had barely come up to his knuckle.

"We can have it resized," the sales woman had said and Edward had smiled.

"It's perfect as it is," and his thoughts had gone to proposals.

It wasn't a case of _if_ he'd ask Bella to marry him, but _when._

He'd originally considered giving Bella his mother's ring which he kept in a small wooden box of mementos at the back of his closet, but that ring was about the past. The one in his hand was about the future. A future in the sun.

But would Bella prefer to choose her own ring? His brow had creased as he'd considered that. Maybe she would. But he wanted something to give her when he went down on one knee and asked if she'd do him the incredible honour of marrying him.

He had the words all ready.

He'd looked up at the sales woman, whose name tag said Melanie.

"I think I've heard of proposal rings," he'd said, unsure, remembering something vaguely from a movie.

"Oh, yes." Melanie had smiled. "If you want to choose an engagement ring together as a couple, but still have a ring to present at the proposal, you can buy a separate ring just for that occasion. People do it sometimes. Then the bride-to-be usually transfers the proposal ring to the other hand when she has her engagement ring."

Edward had nodded. That would work.

"Is _this_ going to be a proposal ring?" Melanie had asked, her eyes huge.

"Is it not suitable?" Edward had been suddenly concerned.

"No, it's not that," Melanie had quickly allayed his fears. "It's just that the proposal ring is usually given as more of a _place holder._ " She looked pointedly at the price tag which declared the ring to be eight thousand dollars.

"Not enough?" he'd asked, and enjoyed Melanie's expression as her jaw dropped.

Now the ring sat safely in his pocket.

At the opposite end of the table, Luke was talking about span lengths. Edward offered some thoughts and then threw in a reminder about the environmental impact study that was still to take place.

"We might be getting ahead of ourselves," he said. "Once the study comes back we'll have a clearer idea of direction, but until then, maybe we should wait before discussing plans in too much detail."

Luke didn't seem impressed, but there were murmurs of agreement from around the table.

"We'll hold that item over for the next meeting," Luke said.

Edward's thoughts went back to Bella. He thought about kids, and sandcastles. And dogs. He began mentally re-designing the house, adding an extra floor with more bedrooms, and a big family room off the kitchen with a proper dining table for family meals, Christmas dinners, and birthday parties.

He felt the ring box again.

He'd been planning this proposal since that day in the airport when Bella had said she thought such an occasion should be private. He'd known then, exactly what he would do.

It would happen up at the lighthouse, with the sunrise. On New Years Day, just two months away. Although, if he was honest, the last couple of days had seen that plan change dramatically.

He'd wanted to propose yesterday, and the day before, in the thick of the drama. The urgency of the situation, the fear of losing her had made him want to act immediately. As if by claiming Bella and making it official, he was claiming their future together. Like it would protect them somehow.

Twice he'd prepared himself to ask the question, and twice they'd been interrupted. In hindsight, he'd decided that was probably a good thing. Such a question shouldn't come during a time of stress, and so he'd reverted back to his original plan.

He smiled now as he imagined it; the sun rising on the first day of the new year. He and Bella on the cliff top, him down on one knee, taking her hand and smiling up into her eyes as he slid the brilliant sapphire onto her finger...

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

His thoughts shattered as he quickly focused on Luke again.

"Are you happy to take that on?"

Shit. What? He sorted back to the last thing he remembered, made a couple of quick deductions and assumptions, and came up with what he thought was the right answer.

"Sure. I can project manage the bridge." He read Luke's face closely and saw he was on the right track. "But I want Adrian and Felicity on the team."

"No problem," Luke said. "That's sorted then."

They moved onto the next agenda item. Edward exhaled, and paid attention for a moment before his thoughts wandered again.

He checked his phone.

Still no reply from Bella.

Was he texting her too much? He smiled as he scrolled back through the flirty, sexy, messages they'd sent back and forth during the day, focusing especially on her last message to him, just an hour before.

 _Early night, tonight?_

He couldn't wait to see her.

Then his heart leapt a second later when the phone vibrated on his thigh. But it was an email from Jasper, who was obviously still working on the Marion situation even as he was flying somewhere over the Pacific

 _E,_

 _I think I've found the connection in this extract from one of MT's early essays, courtesy of the University's online archives._

 _J._

Edward quickly devoured the brief paragraph that followed, then he read it again, more slowly, letting it sink in. Then he sat back, staring out the window at the harbour.

A slow smile spread across his face. It was as he'd thought; a vampire in the family, sort of, but he'd never expected this. He'd never expected anything so... _romantic._ That was the only word for it and if Aro thought Marion had something to do with a Romanian grab for power, he couldn't be more wrong.

Edward smiled down at the screen, reading the words one more time. Then he clicked out of email, and tried to focus back on the meeting.

It was four thirty. She'd probably text him soon.

A second later, his phone vibrated again. He was expecting to see Bella's name, and was surprised when he saw Alice's.

The _incoming call_ light flashed urgently.

"Excuse me," he said to his colleagues. "I have to take this."

He told himself that she'd probably received the same email from Jasper, and wanted to talk about it. That was all. But there was a hard knot of dread in his stomach as he stepped out into the hall.

"Alice?"  
"Someone has Bella. Or he will have soon, and he's got a gun!"

Her voice was shrill, panicked and Edward felt like he'd fallen through ice. _A gun?_ That wasn't the Volturi's usual modus operandi, he was pretty sure of that.

"What do you see?" he hissed. " _Who_ has her?"

"I don't know, I don't recognise him...tall, dark hair. They're in a room and there's a shadow in the background...I think it's Aro."

"Fuck."

Edward began running for his office.

"Is it happening now?" he demanded.

"I think so. It feels soon. And her phone's turned off."

Edward rounded the corner, surprising his secretary as he skidded past her, cracking his knee against her desk. It didn't stop him though, the pain barely registered.

"The sun's still too high." Alice's words were coming so quickly he could barely keep up. "But I've found one of your hoodies and I'll call a cab but I don't know where to go. She's supposed to be at her apartment, isn't she? We have to get to her!"

There was no need to tell Edward twice. He quickly rattled off Bella's address for Alice as he grabbed his car keys and ran out again.

"What's the room look like?" Edward panted as he ran, three steps at a time, down the eight flights.

"I don't know. It's a blur in the background."

"Shit. Anything, can you make out anything at all?"

"It's empty," Alice said. "I think it's an empty room."

"Her place then," he said. "I can be there in twenty minutes if the traffic's good."

"But you have to wait for me!" Alice's panic went up another notch. "You can't walk into this alone!"

Three stairs at a time was taking too long. Edward gripped the hand rail with one hand and jumped it, landing on the next flight down. He repeated the move on the next flight, too.

"Alice, it's going to take you close to ninety minutes to get from Palm Beach to Balmain by car at this time of day. I'm not waiting."

"Ninety..." She swore softly. "Is your motorbike in the garage?"

"Keys are in the bowl beside my bed. Helmet's in the hall closet."

"I'm on my way."

"Alice?"  
"Yes?"  
"Call Emmett. Message the others. Tell them what's happening. And tell Emmett if he hasn't heard from you or me by eight o'clock tonight, he has to take Rose and the kids and go, get out of Hawaii."

"I will," Alice promised, her voice on the edge of tears. "And I'm on my way to you and Bella now. Just...be careful."

Then she hung up and Edward's fingers shook as he dialled Bella's number. He shouldn't have let her go to work. Shouldn't have listened when she said she wanted to feel normal. Except that he'd wanted to feel normal too. And look where it had got them.

He went crashing through the exit door from the stairwell, into the underground carpark, just as Bella's phone connected.

 _The person you have dialled is unavailable. Please try again later._

"FUCK!"

He dialled again. And again. And then he was in his car with tyres screeching as he raced for the exit.

The boom gate was down and he'd left his access card in his office.

Too fucking bad.

He burst right through the gate, sending bits of wood flying as he skidded out into the traffic and sped his way to Balmain.

How? How had his world gone from proposals to panic so quickly? Edward slammed his hand against the steering wheel and burned through the gears. If anything happened to her, he'd never...

"No." He shook his head. He wouldn't let himself think that way. _Couldn't_ let himself think that way. But now he was in peak hour traffic and the Anzac Bridge was crawling and his chest hurt with the fear of what could be happening to her.

He dialled the number again.

 _The person you have..._

He shut if off and gripped the steering wheel so hard it was painful.

He cut across lanes, dodging between cars, but still it all felt like slow motion as he made his way over the bridge and onto Victoria Road. He tore through a red light, more cutting and dodging while horns blared at him.

He turned right into Darling Street, and the traffic stopped, backed up as far as he could see. Bella's place was only a kilometre from here but he'd be faster on foot.

There was nowhere to park, though. There never was around here. So he parked illegally in a bus zone, got out, and ran.

People leapt out of his way, yelling at him to watch where he was going but he didn't care. He couldn't even hear them. The only thing he heard was the blood pounding in his ears.

The only thought in his head was Bella.

Her name filled his mind...a poem, a prayer that he chanted in time with the beat of his heart.

His suit jacket was holding him back and he ripped it from his body, letting it fly behind him, landing crumpled on the footpath. He let his tie go the same way while his feet burned up the pavement, swerving and dodging around people and prams and rubbish bins. His shirt felt like it was choking him and he undid the top buttons and sucked in a painful lungful of air.

He rounded a bend and her car was there, in the distance. Parked across from her building.

He kept running, sped up in fact, if that was even possible. His lungs burned and his chest heaved and this would have been a good time for some vampire speed but even so, Edward would have made the Olympic team with the time he was clocking.

He tore across the road, almost got hit by a car, and then he was up the front steps and shoulder charging his way into the flat where he'd told Bella he'd fight fate for her.

-0-

 **The Balmain Flat**

 **Bella's point of view**

"Too late," Marc said. "They're here."

There was a thud at the door, the crack of splintering wood, and then Edward burst into the room.

An overwhelming mix of fear and joy washed over me as he stood in the doorway, chest heaving. He cast a split second glance at me, then lunged at Marc, who waved the gun in his face. But Edward didn't flinch. He simply knocked the gun out of Marc's hand and slammed a savage fist into his face.

Marc went down hard. Edward stepped over his body and pulled me into his arms, crushing me to his chest, his hands moving over me in quick assessment.

"You're okay?" His chest was pounding so hard I could feel his heart beat through his clothes and mine.

"He didn't hurt me, but he's working with the Volturi, and Edward, the cornices..."

His head snapped skyward and he swore.

"Come on," he muttered.

He went back to Marc, who was slowly coming round.

"I don't want to die," he muttered as Edward jerked him to his feet while I grabbed the gun and shoved it in my jacket pocket.

When Edward cried out a second later, the sound sliced through me like a knife.

When I spun around he was lying on the floor, body contorted, face wracked with silent pain. In the doorway was a woman, little more than a girl. Small and blonde, she had the fair skin and red eyes of her kind and she watched Edward with a cruel smile.

Shock and fear robbed me of words, but the horrified gasp that fell from my lips was loud. I rushed to Edward's side, and when the vampire shifted her gaze to me, Edward's body instantly relaxed.

So was this her gift? Pain by telepathy?

I wanted to gather Edward in my arms but he staggered to his feet and pushed me behind him.

"Jane," he said and his voice was surprisingly strong, given what I'd just witnessed.

Marc was cowering by the wall.

Jane said nothing, but stepped aside, allowing clear entrance for a vampire whose skin was so pale it was almost translucent. His crimson eyes stood out, like blood drops on snow.

He didn't walk so much as glide, and the room temperature seemed to suddenly drop several degrees. I shivered, and Edward pressed me closer.

Dressed in a sharp black suit, the vampire beamed, apparently delighted at what I saw. "Bella _and_ Edward, I assume? What a wonderful surprise this is, both of you here. Edward I do apologise for Jane's greeting. She's too eager, sometimes."

He looked around him curiously, like my flat was the most interesting place he'd ever seen.

"Such a lovely home Bella, beautiful proportions, and those cornices..." He turned his smile on me as I peeked out from behind Edward. "So kind of you to invite me in."

I bit back the urge to tell him I hadn't. So this must be Aro?

"Forgive me," he said. "I should have introduced myself. I am Aro." He inclined his head, all politeness and good grace, but the light in his eyes was curious. "And this is Jane." He waved an elegant hand at the smug little bitch beside him. "And these..." He gestured towards the door. "Are friends of mine. Very old friends. Caius and Marcus."

They came in looking bored to death. Their expressions said they'd seen too much in their long lives, done too much, and now this was the last place on earth they wanted to be. Their black suits, similar to Aro's, made their pale faces seem chalky.

Then Marc came forward.

"Master, Aro" he said, but his master looked right through him and Marc shrank back again, surprise and hurt on his face.

"Where to start?" Aro clapped his hands. "So many interesting people in one place." He circled us slowly. "I see a history in your eyes, Edward. Bella, may I ask you step aside with Jane while Edward and I talk?"

"No!" I shook my head, Jane's lips twitched, and Edward let me go.

"Go," he whispered gently. "I'm right here."

"But..."  
"Please?"

I could see it in his eyes, telling me not to give her any reason to hurt me the way she had him, so I moved away, just a little bit.

Aro motioned towards the door which was slightly ajar and in came a procession of vampires. Male and female. All in black, like it was a uniform. They formed a semi-circle around us and I wondered if they'd been waiting lined up outside, or hiding in the lane out the back.

"I've heard a lot about you," Aro was almost crooning over Edward. "I'm so eager to know everything."

A strangled sob escaped me, and I bit hard into my lip.

Aro held out his hand to Edward, but Edward didn't take it. He towered over the Volturi leader easily by six inches, glaring down at him with a hatred that was almost palpable. Aro was patient, his palm upturned, waiting, but still Edward didn't move, except to curl his hand into a fist.

And he was going to make Aro reach for it.

Aro didn't seem bothered, he simply leant forward and curled his fingers around Edward's wrist.

Edward's jaw worked as every word and touch between us, now became Aro's.

I screwed my eyes shut, holding back tears as I thought of that morning at the lighthouse and what came after in Edward's bed. Aro now saw what Edward had seen. I felt violated and when I cracked my eyes open, Edward had tears in his eyes, his face reflecting my emotions like a mirror.

Aro gasped, a soft sound, and then let out a delighted giggle.

"Well!" He let Edward's hand go. "That was very interesting. Very interesting indeed." His face changed, his smile was still in place, but it had become hard. "It's quite a story you have with Bella."

He moved around Edward in a slow circle.

"He reads minds," he said to Marcus and Caius. "When he's a vampire, that is."

At that, Marcus and Caius shared a look that could almost be described as interest.

"I'm surprised our old friend Carlisle has kept us so out of the picture. He must have forgotten to tell me about your special talent. Or that there was a way to return to your original... _form_. But never mind, I'll make sure to remind him when he arrives in, what, three hours?" He smiled a grim, dark smile. "And I can't wait to meet Hannah and Max."

The cry of anguish I heard, was mine. The coven all turned their eyes to me, except for Aro. His gaze stayed on Edward.

"Yes, that will be very interesting," he said. "Immortal children?"

"Just children." Edward spoke through gritted teeth. His fists clenched at his sides. "Human children."

"Hm, we will see," Aro said. "And a third pregnancy." He turned to a man in the group. "We'll have to prepare a special room in the castle for the Rosalie. It will be such a curious thing to see."

My body shook. Even if Rosalie and Emmett got away this time, he'd hunt them down. There would never be peace for them.

Marc was still cowering by the wall as he looked from Edward to me.

"Children?" His face was appalled. "I didn't know there were chil..."

"Silence!" Aro snapped and Marc ducked his head again. The vampire leader took a slow turn about the room, weaving in and out between his Guard.

"And the Tinsley woman is in Singapore. You missed that Marc, and we were no closer to knowing who she is. Although, Heidi should have never let her go in the first place."

A tall woman amongst the Guard, Heidi I guessed, bowed her head but not before I saw a flash of fear in her eyes.

"Fortunately, Edward's told me all I need to know about our friend Marion. Another interesting story, I must say." There was an edge in Aro's voice, and there was a quiver in Marc's when he spoke.

"I'm so sorry, I thought..."

Aro silenced him again with a wave and Marc fell to his knees in supplication.

"Poor boy, Bella was right when she told you this wouldn't end well for you." He stroked Marc's head with a gentle, almost affectionate hand and the action made my stomach roll. "But you did discover Edward so that deserves some reward. Perhaps I'll still grace you with a place in Volterra. You can have your eternity cleaning the blood and bodies out of the feeding chamber."

When Aro turned his back Marc scrambled to his feet and ran for the door.

He took about two steps before one of the Guard blocked him. Marc stumbled and fell against the kitchen counter, knocking the screws and tin of pain thinners onto the floor. A small amount of the liquid leaked onto the boards.

Aro sighed heavily.

"Kill him?" asked one of the vampires.

"Yes, but not just yet."

As Marc sobbed in a corner, Aro kept talking.

"This is valuable information we have, courtesy of Edward. Vampires becoming human. Having children. But Edward doesn't want to co-operate with us. What shall we do? Marcus? Caius?"

"Bring him back with us," Caius drawled. "We don't need to decide his fate now and we can study him at our leisure."

Aro nodded.

"As for Bella," he said, coming towards me. I was shaking so hard, it had begun to hurt. I looked at Edward as Aro held out his hand.

Edward nodded, closing his eyes, his face telling me how sorry he was.

Aro's skin felt papery and icy cold as his fingers closed around mine; colder than Edward's had ever been. I was unsure what to expect, wondered if there'd be some sort of electric charge, but there was nothing. Aro closed his eyes, a thin smile on his lips. A second later his eyes flew open and his grip tightened slightly.

"Well!" He kept hold while he looked around him. "Nothing," he said, voice amazed. "Her mind is closed to me."

There seemed to be confusion amongst the group. Aro beckoned to Jane, who stepped forward at the same time Edward did.

"No!" Edward tried to put himself in front of me but Heidi grabbed him and held him back. He struggled against her as Jane turned her gaze on me.

I braced myself, eyes closed, waiting for the pain but nothing happened. When I looked, Jane's face was full of fury. Aro laughed, and it sounded like a hyena.

"But this is marvellous!" he cried. "Bella is impervious. I've never known anything like it. Oh, another excellent addition. We'll take them both back!"

"The connection between them is strong." The one called Marcus spoke, his voice thin and light.

"Yes, yes," Aro said. "I could see that through Edward. And you're both too valuable to destroy so we'll change you and you'll have eternity together! With us!" He clapped his hands again. "What a love story this will be!"

The pain and anguish in Edward's eyes was heartbreaking and I couldn't get past that to really take in what was happening. All I could think was that they'd send him back into the dark.

Then Marcus spoke again.

"It's a truly _unique_ bond," he said, offering his hand.

Aro's eyes narrowed slightly as his fingers gripped those of his friend.

"I see," he said tightly. "That _is_ a unique bond. One could say, a _dangerous_ bond."

His eyes hardened and a chill ran through my body. He circled the room, his head turning in the vampire way as he watched us. Finally, he came to a stop.

"As vampires you would be a very powerful couple." He sighed heavily. "Too powerful. It's such a pity. Demetri?"

He nodded to a vampire who came and stood behind Edward.

Edward stiffened, his eyes wide with anger.

"Alright, but you'll let her go," he growled. "She's no threat to you."

"What?" I looked from Aro to Edward and back again. "What's happening?"

"Oh! Please don't fret, Bella." Aro came close and stroked my hair like he had for Marc and I cringed away. "Demetri will make sure it's quick and painless. And then you'll follow your beloved."

He laughed that hyena laugh again.

"No!" I cried out. "No, you can't _...Edward!"_  
I tried to run to him but there was an almost invisible movement by the Guard and suddenly Edward was cut off from me.

"Bella!" Edward's anguished voice broke my heart. I saw him try to break through the line of black but Jane went to work again. This time, though, somehow he didn't buckle as badly. He staggered, but didn't fall.

"BELLA!"

There was the gun in my pocket and though bullets were powerless here, I pulled it out anyway.

"Ah!" Aro smiled. "I wondered when that would come out."

He turned his back on me, almost like he was daring me to use it. Now that the vampires had separated Edward from me, he was on the opposite side of the room, near the door. Heidi stood between him and the door. The other vampires had effectively closed ranks, shoulder to shoulder between us.

"You're going to make this difficult, aren't you?" Aro said, turning back to me.

The tin of paint thinners lay at his feet, the toes of his shiny leather shoes nudging the edge of the puddle.

Without thinking, I pointed the gun at the tin, and gently squeezed the trigger.

The tin sparked, the liquid ignited, and sent a rush of flames up Aro's legs.

His high-pitched squeal filled my ears. The fire roared across the room, following the spill of liquid and catching anything in its path. There was chaos as the Volturi forgot about me and tried to save Aro, or themselves. I saw Heidi leave Edward's side to grab Jane as she tried to run out the door and in a quick move, the tall vampire removed the blonde bitch's head from her shoulders. And that gave Edward the chance to move.

I could just make him out through the flames. He was trying to get to me, I could hear him screaming my name, but the flames were too strong and I screamed for him to run. Oh dear God, what if this killed him?

 _What had I done?_

"EDWARD!"

I dropped to my hands and knees, scrambling desperately across the floor, blinded by smoke as I skirted the edges of the vampire inferno in the centre of the room.

I was disoriented, gasping and panicked, but then a strong warm hand wrapped around mine and suddenly I was swept up in Edward's arms.

"I've got you," he rasped. "I won't let go."

I tucked my head into his chest, and felt the world slip away.

-0-

Time seemed to stop. I was aware of noise; screams and sirens, but all I could think about was being in Edward's arms and that if we died now at least we'd be together.

When I opened my eyes, it could have been five minutes, or five hours later.

I was staring up at a smoky, dusky early-evening sky. And then my gaze found a pair of vivid emerald eyes.

Edward sat with his back against a tree in the front garden of the house across the road and I was gathered close in his lap.

"You still with me?" he asked, voice rough from smoke.

"Uh huh."  
I reached up and touched his beautiful face, all smeared with soot.

"We're safe," he said. "They're all gone, thanks to you." He pointed towards the purple smoke that curled into the sky. "Except for Heidi. She got away with Marc."

"Wh..."

"They won't be a problem," Edward said.

"She killed Jane."

"I know. And you destroyed the Volturi. Bella, what you did, shooting that tin..." He shook his head. "You're incredible."

There was something like awe in his eyes, and his fingers shook as he gently traced my cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered.

His hand was burnt, I noticed.

"Edward..."

"It's nothing. Superficial." He smiled a tender smile. "Alice's vision," he whispered. "We were looking at it all wrong. It was about..."

He was cut off by a fit of coughing, and more sirens as a fire engine and ambulance came screeching into street.

Crowds were gathering. People were calling out. Someone noticed us under the tree and started shouting.

"Over here! Under the tree!"

As the paramedics came running, I eased myself from Edward's lap.

"Wait!" He grabbed my hand, coughing hard as his other hand reached into his pocket. I was coughing too, my eyes stung from the smoke and I blinked furiously.

"What are you doing?"

"I had plans," he said. "Really good plans, but I don't care, I'm doing it now, before anything else happens..." And he pushed a ring onto my finger. "Marry me, Bella?"  
I stared down at our hands, at his holding mine and the brilliant sapphire that sparkled on my finger.

For a second, nothing else mattered. Not the burnt block of flats, or the Volturi, or the crowds and paramedics.

It was just Edward and me, sitting beneath a tree.

And he'd proposed.

I looked up and his eyes were anxious.

"Yes," I whispered, and followed it with a cough. "Oh God, yes. I'll marry you, Edward."

"Yes?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, thank God."

He kissed me then, his hand winding through my hair, holding me to him, his lips moving with mine, showing me exactly what he felt in his heart.

Then I coughed, and Edward laughed, and we collapsed on the grass in each other's arms.

"Ah, Bella," he sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Will it always be like this?"

"Let's hope not."

We laughed again, and then there was Alice, her voice calling to us as she hurried up the path ahead of the paramedics. There was a motorbike helmet swinging from her hand.

"Alice!" Edward smiled as we sat up again.

"Edward!" she cried. "Bella..." She dropped down on the grass and we were gathere into her fierce, stony embrace. "I got here as fast as I could. You might be getting a speeding ticket or two in the mail, Edward." She pulled back, amber eyes bright as she looked from her brother to me; her beautiful face creased with worry as she sat beside us. "Are you alright? You seem to be. Tell me you're alright! The purple smoke..."

"We're fine, Alice. It's all good." Edward smiled again at his sister and he spoke with pride. "The Volturi has been destroyed. Gone. Bella was amaz..."

"Destroyed?" Now Alice's words came tumbling again, like she had to get all her questions out before she could take in anymore answers.

" _All_ of them? How? What did you do? How did I not see this? Did they hurt..." Then she stopped, her face suddenly blank as she stared, wide-eyed, at Edward's hand in mine. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my gosh! _Edward!_ "

"It'll be okay," he said quickly "The burns are only superficial."

"No, not that." Fresh shock crossed her features. She dropped her hand and glared at her brother. "I've been planning a proposal party and you choose _now_ to get engaged?"

-0-

 **A/N: Thank you for the amazing reaction to the last chapter, and every chapter. I appreciate all your support and kind words so, so, much. MWAH! xx**

 **There are probably one or two more chapters left. I've had a couple of questions over the last couple of chapters from Guests, and I can't respond to them so I thought I'd answer them here : )**

 **Bella uses words and phrases like "bloody hell" because she's picked up some of the local slang. I've based that on my own experience of international work colleagues who were using "Aussie-isms" after only a couple of months here, so if Bella's been in Australia for nine months now I'm sure she'd be using them here and there : )**

 **Because Alice doesn't see visions until firm decisions are made, she didn't see the problem with Marc until he actually decided to pull out the gun. Once he made that decision, Alice saw it : )**

 **Marc and Marco Morretti are not the same person but it would have been a good twist! I didn't even notice they had similar names until someone mentioned it, lol!**

 **Information about the Romanians and the Volturi is from "The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide". (I bought it years ago for my daughter, in the thick of Twilight's popularity when she was wearing Edward t-shirts. She barely ever glanced in it, but it's come in really useful for writing ff, lol).**

 **I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can.**

 **Thanks again! xx**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

I wondered, as I sat propped up in the back of an ambulance with an oxygen mask on my face, what people would make of my life story if I ever wrote it down.

Was it a romance?

A Gothic horror?

Mystery?

All three, perhaps?

No-one would believe it, I knew that much because I could barely believe it myself.

I shifted the sapphire round on my finger, my thumb nudging the stone gently back and forth. For a few moments, sitting under that tree, I'd been blissfully happy. All the fear and panic of the previous hour had been extinguished by three words. Eclipsed by one simple question.

 _Marry me, Bella?_

Now, sirens blared. A paramedic was taking my pulse. And my mind jumped to the future.

What would we tell our children when they asked how Dad proposed?

I snorted a laugh, which made me cough, and then I started to cry. Tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks, gathering in the bottom of the oxygen mask.

"You alright?" The paramedic, who I remembered now was called Sarah, fixed a well-practiced eye on me. "Any pain? Discomfort? Trouble breathing?"

I shook my head, wanting to say no, there was no pain, except there was.

"Edward..." I sniffed, the ache for him suddenly so strong I thought my heart would break.

Understanding flooded Sarah's features.

"They're taking good care of him in the other ambulance," she said and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "And your friend is following on her motorbike."

"Alice."

Sarah nodded. "It's a nice bike."

"It's Edward's."

"Ah."

"He proposed. Just now." I held up my hand, a small part of brain wondering why I was sharing this with a stranger, and in these circumstances. "I'm going to marry him. He chose the ring himself."

This wasn't like me at all, but I couldn't stop. Now that I was apart from Edward the panic and fear came knocking and it seemed I needed to talk about the good to dispel the bad. I needed to push away vampires and fires and oxygen masks, and I was doing it with talk of sapphires and diamonds and a future.

"Just now?" Sarah asked and I nodded.

"I think...it's been a long time coming though. We've known each other a while."

"So he popped the question after the fire?"

"When we were under the tree."

"Wow." She grinned. "That'll be one to tell the grandkids. But hey, congratulations. Gorgeous ring. Now we'd better get you fit for the wedding, so no more talking, yeah? Just focus on slow breaths, and walking down the aisle."

.

The ER was large and busy and my happy ever after fantasy gave way to bright lights and noise as I was wheeled through the ward. And as we moved, I scanned every bed, and every face, for Edward.

He wasn't here.

At least, not that I could see.

Some cubicles had their curtains drawn and I strained my ears, listening for his voice or mention of his name. I was focused so hard on finding him, that I barely noticed I'd been transferred into a bed and Sarah had done her handover and said goodbye.

There was a doctor at my side now. She listened to my chest. A nurse took my blood pressure and slipped a nasal canula into place instead of the oxygen mask. I was asked questions and I answered with one eye on a gap in the curtains that had been pulled round my bed, hoping I might catch sight of Edward.

"You seem in good shape, but your blood pressure's up a bit," the doctor said. "Understandable, though. Do you know what sort of fire it was Bella?"

"Huh?"

"What caused the fire? Was it electrical? Chemical? Organic? We need to know what you might have inhaled."

Shit, what should I say?

"I...I don't know. Paint thinners, I think. Has Edward Masen come in? He was in the other ambulance."

"I don't know, sorry." The doctor shook her head, wrote on a chart at the foot of my bed, and then she was gone.

The nurse smiled as he handed me a green hospital gown.

"Hi, I'm Steve. Would you mind putting this on, Bella? Everything off except your undies, and I'll be back in a minute to hook you up to the heart monitor."

I nodded. "Okay, thanks. Wait! Do you know if Edward Masen has been admitted? We were in the same fire. He was in the other ambulance."

Steve shook his head.

"No, sorry. I'll see if I can find out for you. Are you cold?"

I realised then that I was shaking. A faint tremor of my body I hadn't even been aware of. But it had nothing to do with the temperature.

"I'll bring you a heated blanket," Steve said and he disappeared through the curtain.

I shrugged out of my clothes and into the gown, and climbed back into the bed.

A few minutes passed, and then a different nurse appeared.

"Hi, I'm Sharon. Steve's been called away to an emergency so I'll be looking after you."

She hooked me up to the monitor and I asked her the same question about Edward. And received the same reply.

"I don't know, sorry. I'll see what I can find out."

She walked away, leaving the curtain swinging behind her, and I waited.

Time ticked on. I strained my ears, listening to the busy, urgent, sounds of a city emergency ward.

An hour had passed and Sharon didn't return.

A hard knot of dread began forming in my stomach. Shivers vibrated across my skin.

What if Steve's emergency, was _Edward_?  
I'd heard stories of people who'd seemed fine after an accident or injury and then collapsed suddenly a little later. Charlie had talked about them.

I thought of what Edward had told me about his heart. How after his change it hadn't started beating on its own. How it had been weak in those early days.

What if it still had a weakness? What if it couldn't handle the stress of the Volturi, the panic of the fire?

What if he'd been injured, or inhaled more smoke than we'd realised?

"Oh dear God, I can't lose him. I can't lose him now."

That simmering panic boiled over. I gasped a breath as tears filled my eyes and I could feel my chest constricting despite the oxygen that flowed into my lungs.

An alarm rang out in the near distance, shrill and loud, and suddenly people were running, shouting, calling for a "crash cart" at bed three.

What if it was him?

"Oh God, no...no!"

I lunged off the bed, nearly strangling myself on the oxygen tubing before I ripped it out and started frantically disconnecting myself from the monitor. My hands clawed at the plugs, tearing at them as I sobbed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

I whirled around, and there was Edward, standing at the foot of the bed.

He was straight and tall, healthy, and glaring at me.

He was perfect.

I couldn't move. I wanted to wrap my arms around him. And kiss him. Curl up in his lap and be safe and small. But I was frozen to the spot, drinking him in, like he was a vision and if I moved he'd vanish.

He was at my side in two strides. He fitted the nasal canula carefully back into place, re-attached the single monitor plug I'd managed to remove, and lifted me back onto the bed.

There was a bandage on his left hand but it didn't seem to impair his actions.

He sat beside me, holding my shaking body tight against his, tucking my head beneath his chin. He wasn't in a hospital gown, I noticed vaguely, but in his office shirt and trousers.

He smelt of smoke.

"What's this all about, Bella?" His voice was a whisper; a gentle, comforting murmur that caressed and soothed my nerves. "Tell me."

"I...couldn't...find you." I whispered back, trying not to cry. "Then the alarm..." I looked up at him, so alive and beautiful. "I thought your heart might have...after your change, you told me..."

A fresh sob caught in my throat.

Edward took my hand and placed it over his chest, pressing it firmly against him so I could feel the steady thrum of life beneath my palm.

"My heart's fine," he said. "Strong and healthy. And all yours."

His lips caressed my forehead. His hand squeezed mine, holding it still against his chest. Then his fingers gradually slid lower, to my wrist, and I knew by his touch that he was checking my pulse.

I sniffed. "All good?"

"It's hard to tell," he smirked, before lifting my wrist to his lips. He placed a kiss there, where blue veins made a pattern beneath pale skin. "From the first day I met you, your pulse has always been a little faster than the average human's." He cocked his head, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'm not sure if it's your natural state, or just the effect I have on you."

A smile escaped me, over-ruling the fear which was rapidly fading now. I even managed to give him a very theatrical eye-roll. He grinned and kissed my forehead again.

"Feeling better now?" he asked.

"Yes." I let go a heavy breath. "And now I know for certain that you're okay, Mr Arrogant. Why are you in normal clothes, anyway?"

He chuckled softly, and pulled me close again.

"I _was_ in a gown, but I've signed myself out."

My eyes shot open. "You can't do that! You're not a doctor, what if there's something..."

He arched an eyebrow and I stopped.

"Oh. Yeah. I forgot." The two medical degrees.

"I checked my chart," he said. "They've treated my hand. All my vitals are good, they were just keeping me for the requisite four hours observation. One hour was all I really needed."

"Then I can go too."

"Not so fast," he said and eased himself off the bed to go look at _my_ chart.

He frowned.

"Blood pressure's up a bit."

"Because I was worried about you. It's your fault."

He glanced up at the machine monitoring my heart rate and blood oxygen levels. "Everything else is good, though." He sighed and came to sit next to me again, pulling me into his arms once more as I shifted to make room.

He held my hand, touching my engagement ring with his thumb.

"It's been quite a day, hasn't it?"

"Yep." I sighed too. "Even for us, today was really something."

He chuckled, but the humour faded quickly.

"For one blinding instant," he murmured. "When I saw him with that gun pointed at you..." He shut his eyes and swallowed. "In that moment, I would have given up my humanity, my soul, if only so I could tear his head from his shoulders." A faint shudder ran through him and I held him tighter.

"It's okay," I said. "I'm here. We both are."

He nodded. "I know."

From outside our curtained world, came relieved voices and a shaky laugh.

"Sounds like the emergency's been resolved," Edward said. "The guy in bed three is breathing again."

"That's good news."

He nodded.

"Where were you? Why couldn't I see you?"

"The ward is a U shape," he said. "I was round the other side."

"Oh. Were you..."

"Frantic," he said, dropping his head back on his shoulders and giving a shallow laugh. "I was frantic about you. It was as if, once you were out of my sight..."

"I know. I know, me too."

"That's why I'm signed out and sitting here now. We're better together, you and me."

There was a moment of silence as I nestled against him and he pulled me impossibly closer. Then I asked what had made him come to me at the flat.

"Alice," he said. "She saw you."

In whispers he told me about the panicked phone call and his furious drive to Balmain. The heart monitor kicked up a notch.

"Oh my gosh, you could have crashed!"

He shook his head. "Wasn't an option," he said.

He stroked my arm, back and forth, until my heart rate returned to normal. And then I told him what had happened before he burst through the front door like a knight in shining armour. Or a dishevelled business suit.

It was probably a good thing Edward wasn't hooked up to a machine. As I told my story, the suddenly pounding vein in his temple would have set off alarms on its own.

"The turn of my head?" Edward's voice was all disbelief. " _That_ was enough to clue him in?"  
I nodded.

"That and your death glare."

Edward rubbed his good hand over the back of his neck.

"He'd been watching me," he muttered. "And I had no idea. And he was using you..." His jaw was hard, his eyes even harder, and I knew where his thoughts had gone. I reached up to touch his face, as the curtain was flung back suddenly.

"I hate waiting rooms," Alice declared. "No-one tells you anything." Her bright amber eyes swiftly looked us over. "But thank goodness, you're both fine. You are alright, aren't you, Bella?" A note of anxiety crept into her voice as she motioned towards my mask and the monitor. "That machine looks serious, but I have seen you look worse."

"Thanks for that, Alice."

She winced. "Sorry. I meant that you look well, considering everything that's happened. Which makes me ask...what _did_ happen this afternoon?"

She sat on the foot of the bed, her face expectant, and it was so typical of her. Dear Alice, who sweeps in and takes over, if she's allowed.

I thought Edward might say no, it wasn't the time or place, but then she started wringing her hands, something I'd never seen her do before. Edward noticed too, it seemed, because he gave her hug and, in whispered tones, began to fill her in on the story.

Her eyes widened, her mouth formed a silent O, and I hadn't thought it possible for a vampire to turn pale.

"Oh my...Edward...it was _you_ he wanted. Aro's known about you all along..."

The rest of her sentence was cut off when Sharon poked her head around the curtain.

"Hourly obs," she said, casting a quick uncertain glance at Alice. "And, um, there are some police here to talk to you, Bella. If you and the doctor both agree that you feel up to it."

She looked from me to Edward, who was moving off the bed. Then she glanced at the hospital band that was still on his wrist. Understanding crossed her features. "Edward Masen? I think they want to talk to you too."

"Police?" A sharp stab of panic shot through me.

"The fire," Edward said. "There'll need to be an investigation."

Oh, shit. Of course.

"It's fine," he said, squeezing my hand. "Normal procedure. It'll be fine."

I nodded, not feeling quite as sure as Edward sounded.

Sharon smiled. "Lets check you over first," she said, and came forward as Alice and Edward went to wait outside.

Of course my blood pressure was still up, and even higher now. But my oxygen levels were good and I hadn't coughed in a while.

"I'll just give doctor these details," Sharon said, writing on the chart. "And if she says it's okay I'll let the police know they can come in."

As she went out through the curtains, Edward and Alice came back in.

"What do we say to them?"  
"Electrical fault!" Alice said. "Say the heater sparked and burst into flame."  
Edward rolled his eyes and shook his head.  
"No Alice..."  
"Why? It's a simple solution, and electrical fires happen every day. Especially if there's been recent construction work." She nodded enthusiastically. "It all fits."  
"I said no. I'm not going to..."  
"You don't have to worry," she went on, interrupting him, and her tone was just this side of patronising. "I'll take care of everything. Jasper and I can go over later tonight and set the scene. It'll be easy to stage."  
"I know it'd be easy!" Edward snapped. "I could stage it myself, God knows I've had enough experience covering up worse than this, but I'm not putting the blame on the electricians who re-wired the place." His voice was firm, his expression decided; he was clearly not to be argued with. "It'd ruin their business, Alice."  
She waved a dismissive hand. "They'd have insurance for that sort of thing."  
"Not for their reputations, they wouldn't. Or their own peace of mind."  
"Oh." Alice dropped her hand. She frowned. "I hadn't thought of that."  
I hadn't thought of it either. But then, I hadn't even thought about the police wanting a statement. I did agree with Edward though - I didn't want innocent people taking the blame, either.  
"What do we say, then?" I was watching him, hoping he had an answer. Alice was watching him too, her eyes curious.  
He exhaled slowly. "I do have an idea." His eyes softened as he took my hand. "But I'm not sure how you'd feel about it, love. It could end up meaning we testify in court."

He lowered his face, and whispered in my ear.

A short while later, Constable Ben Davison was standing by my bed. A second officer was interviewing Edward somewhere else on the ward.

"Can you tell me what happened today, Bella." He smiled, notebook and pen at the ready, and I followed Edward's plan of telling the simple truth.

Well, mostly the truth.

I talked about meeting my friend, Marc Smith, at my newly renovated flat, and the gun that was pulled on me when I went to leave.

I watched closely for Officer Davison's reaction. There was none. They must have found the gun at the scene.

"What sort of gun?" he asked casually, anyway.

"Hand gun. A pistol."

He nodded and made notes in his pad. I took a deep slow breath and sat on my hands so they wouldn't shake.

I'd just put the first nail in Marc's coffin.

Australia's gun laws were strict, I knew that, but Edward knew more. There's no concealed carry and handguns are illegal so just being in possession of that pistol could land Marc a hefty prison sentence. It was why he'd suggested we go with a version of the truth.

"And this behaviour was unexpected?"

I heard a dark, brittle laugh and realised it had come from me.

"Yeah, you could say that. Completely unexpected. I never..." My breath caught as the fear visited me again. "I never saw it coming."

"Can you tell me what happened then?" The officer was watching me closely.

I took another breath, and talked about Marc's threat to shoot me if I tried to get away and his plan to take me with him when he left the country.

Nails number two and three. Deprivation of liberty, and attempted abduction.

"Did he say why he was doing this?"  
Here came the _mostly but not quite_ truthful part. Keep it simple, Edward had said.

"Nothing that made any sense." I cleared my throat. "He talked about taking me to Italy to meet friends of his. He said he'd met them last time he'd been there and was flying out later tonight. On a private plane. He said things..." I shook my head, feeling the heat of my lie colour my cheeks. "I didn't understand a lot of it. He was just...rambling. Nonsense. And then Edward arrived." I stopped and swallowed. "He went for Marc straight away. Punched him. The gun fell and I picked it up and...it went off. There was a tin of paint thinners on the floor, from the renovation. The bullet must have hit it."

I was twisting the bed sheets around my fingers as I spoke. Constable Davison noticed and I stopped immediately, wondering if he could also hear the hammering of my heart. Thankfully, he seemed to interpret my response exactly as Edward hoped he would.

He smiled gently.

"It's okay, Bella. You're safe now."

I nodded and he smiled again. Though it wasn't just the lying that was making me blush and fidget. It was reliving the afternoon's events. Remembering Marc's words, his actions. The memory of Aro and his evil and the almost paralysing fear I'd felt for Edward, his family, and me.

I began to shake.

"You okay? Can you continue? Should I get someone?"

"No, I'm alright." I nodded and inhaled deeply, feeling the sharpness of the oxygen flow into my lungs. "I'm good."

"Then, can you tell me what happened next?"

"There were just...just flames. Lots of flames and smoke, and the fire spread quickly. I couldn't see properly." I hugged myself as the ER disappeared and I was back in the flat. Things had seemed clear at the time, I thought I knew what I was seeing, but not now. Now it all seemed such a blur. "There were just so many of them. They were so close, and then..." I paused as I remembered a new detail, something small, but I wasn't quite sure if it was real or I was remembering wrong. "There were so many of them... _and they all went up at once_..."

"What do you mean? So many what?"

"Huh?"

The officer's voice brought me back to now.

"What went up all at once?" His eyes narrowed as he watched me.

"The flames," I said quickly. "So many flames. They went up at once. So fast."

So fast I couldn't remember straight.

"I see." He made more notes and I kept talking, hoping to deflect from my near slip-up.

"Edward grabbed me and the next thing I knew we were outside, under a tree across the road and Marc had got away."

Had there been witnesses who saw him with Heidi? Or who'd maybe seen a troop of black-clad vampires arrive at my door?

But Constable Davison didn't mention witnesses. He simply nodded and thanked me for my time.

"I think I've got what I need for now," he said. "But you'll need to complete a formal statement in the next day or so. In the meantime we'll see if we can locate Mr Smith." He put the notepad away. "The fire was very contained. The early reports from the forensics team indicate a chemical explosion, which could explain the purple smoke and fits with what you've said."

"Oh..."

"It was an intense heat, but little damage apart from the floor which burnt right through. There was a lot of ash."

"Really?"

He nodded. "And scorch marks to the walls and ceiling. But it didn't seem to travel to the other flats."

Relief flowed through me. Beryl would still have a home. And the Maloney's.

"That's good," I said. And then a sudden thought hit me just as the officer was about to leave. "He has my phone!"

He stopped. "Marc Smith has your phone?"  
"He took it from me. So I couldn't call for help."

He began scribbling again in his notebook. "Was the phone turned on, do you know?"

"I...it was. But he turned it off. At least, I think he did."

Constable Davison frowned. "If it's off we can only trace it to the last location before it was powered down. But we can try and hope it's still on. What's the number?"

He wrote it down, wished me a speedy recovery and left. I was alone, wondering what was happening with Edward, when he appeared a moment later.

"All done?" he asked and I nodded.

"I kept it simple, told him what we'd agreed. What about you?"

"All good," he said, coming close and stroking his hand through my hair.

"They know it was a chemical explosion."

"I know." He sighed and tucked me close.

"And Marc has my phone. I told the officer and they'll try to trace it."

Edward's eyes widened a little.

"Well, let's hope he has it turned on," he said, then frowned. "If things go to plan, Marc will be on the country's most wanted list by morning. If he goes overseas, Interpol will be alerted." He frowned. "He deserves so much worse that prison, but it's all I can manage right now."

All he could manage right now?

I wanted to ask what he meant, if there was more to his plan, but decided against it. I was also curious about what I thought I might have seen when the fire broke out, but

I was probably reading too much into it and if I wasn't, I didn't want to know at the moment.

"Where's Alice?" I asked.

"Gone to meet the others. The hospital smell was getting to her." He gave me a significant look. "And the plane arrives in half an hour, anyway."

"We didn't get to tell her the rest of what happened."

"I did. While your obs were being done."

"Oh." I frowned as my mind changed directions completely. "She's gone to collect them on your motorbike? How will that work?"

Edward chuckled softly.

"Alice and Jasper will probably ride back to my place together. Carlisle and Esme will hire a car."

"Oh." Of course. I shook my head and then yawned hugely. "I think my brain's slowing down for the night."

Edward smiled and kissed me sweetly, his lips pressing softly against mine.

"You need sleep," he whispered.

"Can we go home for that?"  
"Soon," he said. "Lets get that blood pressure back to normal first."

"Then stop kissing me, Edward. Until after my next lot of obs, anyway."

-0-

"We're almost there," Edward whispered.

"Hmm?"

I lifted my head from where I nestled against his chest and opened my eyes. We were just turning into Edward's street and I blinked, wondering how we'd got here so quickly. I must have fallen asleep as soon as we got in the taxi.

"What time is it?"

"Almost eleven." Edward kissed the top of my head. His arm was wrapped round my shoulder, his bandaged hand holding me close. His other hand held his phone, its soft glow illuminating his face as his thumb scrolled over the screen.

"What's that?"

"Airport manifesto." He glanced at the taxi driver who was singing along softly with the radio, and lowered his voice. "They must have gone straight for the airfield because their plane left for Italy on schedule. There were three passengers."

My eyes widened and I sat up straighter.

"Does it say who?"  
Edward nodded and dropped his voice further. "Marco Marretti, Heidi Volturi, and Marc Smith."

Marc had got away and I wasn't sure how to feel.

"Will they catch him?" I asked. "In Italy?"

I couldn't see Edward's eyes properly in the dark, but there was an edge to his voice.

"According to the manifesto, they didn't fly to Italy."

"Oh. Then where?"

"Alaska."

That threw me.

"We should tell the police, shouldn't we?"

Edward shook his head. "They'd want to know how we know. And that would complicate things for us." He slipped his phone away. "We'll have to let it go. For now."

"For now? What does that mean?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't know yet," he said.

He sighed rubbed his bandaged hand over the back of his neck. The driver was peering out the window, searching for the house number. Edward leant forward slightly.

"Just a little further up on the left," he said and the driver waved a hand in acknowledgement.

"Why do you think they went to Alaska?" I whispered as he sat back again.

"I'd say they're running scared and anxious to stay far away from Volterra."

"Is there still a danger there?"

He shook his head. "No." The taxi slowed to a gentle stop. "I'll explain later," he murmured.

The sight of Edward's beach house, so cosy looking with the porch light shining and the windows showing the lamp light inside, made me want to cry. There'd been a time earlier today, just a few hours ago, when I thought I'd never see it again.

His bike was parked out the front, behind a black mini van with hire car plates.

"A mini van?"

"Big family," Edward smiled.

Then, as he paid the driver, the front door opened and the Cullens came running down the path. Edward sighed, but his voice held a smile.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked as we slid across the seat and got out.

Esme was the first to reach us, but only just, and in the emotional kerbside reunion that followed we were engulfed in a huddle of rib-crushing vampire hugs, joy, and relief.

"Oh, thank God! Thank God you're alright!"

"Bella, we are so grateful...and Edward..."

"What did the doctors say? Should you have stayed overnight?"

"Your car's been towed, I think."

"Alice said it was a bullet and paint thinners, is that true?"

"Edward! Your hand!"

"So the Volturi's really gone?"

"You should have let us pick you up from the hospital."

"Why don't we go inside and talk." Carlisle's calm voice cut through the chaos and suddenly Esme was all business.

"Yes, of course," she said, releasing us from a double hug but keeping hold of Edward's hand. "Come in, come in. You must both be exhausted. And hungry. I've made pasta, just with one of the jars of sauce in the pantry, but still, it's warm and it's filling." She laughed then, a light tinkling sound. "Listen to me, playing hostess in your own home. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Edward said.

"Rose and Emmett have already booked their flights home," Alice was bright and bubbly as she pushed open the front door. "They fly out in a few hours."

"Tonight? So late?"

" Hawaii time," Jasper explained.

"Oh." I shook my head. "Of course. I think my brain's a bit fried right now."

"It's about four o'clock yesterday morning over there," he went on. "Their flight's at seven."

That made more sense.

"They sure move fast."

"They're anxious to be home," Carlisle said. "And to be with everyone."

His eyes were bright and I realised then that this would be the first time the whole Cullen clan, or coven, had been together in five years. Possibly longer.

We moved into the living room and it was really like coming home, in a way I'd never felt before. Anywhere.

It was full of family and soft lights and laughter, and there was the delicious smell of bolognese cooking on the stove.

"Is it too late to eat?" Esme suddenly looked concerned. "It's almost midnight, that's probably too late for dinner."

"It's never too late for dinner," Edward said, pulling her in for another hug and kissing her forehead. "Thank you."

She sighed and shook her head as Edward gathered me back into his arms again.

"If anything had happened to you. Either of you..." She shuddered. "I don't know what I would have done. They're really gone, aren't they? The Volturi?"

"They're gone." Edward ran through a list of names, starting with Aro, finishing with someone called Felix. Carlisle nodded as each name was recited. "All incinerated, except for Heidi," Edward said. "She's flown to Alaska with Marc and the human accomplice."

"And those remaining in Volterra are minor players," Carlisle said thoughtfully.

"There are more?" A sudden wave of fear ran through me.

"No-one of consequence," Edward said quickly. "Just Guard members who make up the Volturi muscle. They have no gifts, they just follow orders and without anyone to follow..." He shrugged. "They're no threat," Carlisle finished. "But Alaska, Edward? That's interesting."

"It is," Edward said. "But I think I'm starting to understand. Heidi was terrified of Aro, I could sense it from her and when she grabbed hold of me her hands were shaking. She knew she probably wouldn't be making it back to Volterra, and if she did it wouldn't be for long. Aro wasn't going to forget that she'd let Marion go."

"So they've gone somewhere else, far away," Esme said.

Edward nodded. "There seemed to be some connection between her and Marc. I'd say they've gone off together. As for Marco Marretti..." He shrugged. "He's a human who knows his place. He won't be looking for trouble."

"But there are still loose ends to tie up," Carlisle said.

"There are," Edward said.

"But not tonight." Carlisle smiled. "Tonight is for celebration. And thanks." He inclined his head towards me. "The danger has passed and right now you both need time to recover and rest. Doctor's orders."

"Your hand though, Edward..." Esme frowned.

"Superficial," his said. "I'll swap this bandage for a smaller dressing tomorrow. Nothing to worry about."

"Did they prescribe an antibiotic cream?" Carlisle asked.

"It's in my pocket."

"Smoke inhalation?"

"Minimal. We were able to get out pretty quickly before we breathed too much in."

The realisation that I'd probably inhaled microscopic Aro particles was not a happy one. Suddenly I wanted to blow my nose.

A medical conversation started up between Edward and Carlisle – going over our treatment in hospital, lung capacities, oxygen administration, hours of close observation and monitoring...

We were still standing, all of us in a rough circle round the coffee table, listening to the doctors talking, but then Esme's eyes fell to my left hand as it rested against Edward's chest.  
She blinked twice, then bit her bottom lip.  
"That's a beautiful ring, Bella."  
"Oh...um..." I flexed my fingers as I smiled and a blush heated my cheeks.

Carlisle stopped talking. Edward took my hand in his, his thumb gently nudging the sapphire. When he spoke, I could hear the smile, and pride, in his voice.  
"And it means exactly what you think it does."  
Esme gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Carlisle grinned and Alice giggled, bouncing on her toes.  
"I didn't tell," she exclaimed proudly. "I didn't say a word!"  
"Tell what?" Clearly puzzled, Jasper looked from his wife to Edward, then at my hand. "Oh? OH! Really?"

Edward laughed. "Yeah, really. Bella's agreed to take me on. We're getting married."

Jasper slapped his brother on the back. "Well, wow! Congratulations!"

And then we were in the vampire huddle once more.

"When did this happen?"

"I'm so, _so,_ happy for you both!"

"Don't ask him how he proposed, you'll be _horrified_."

"Have you set a date?"

"Where will the wedding be?"

It would have been easy to feel overwhelmed, and there was a time, long ago, when that's how I would have felt. The attention, the questions, it would have had me blushing and stammering and wanting to run away. But not now.

Now I welcomed the joy and the love. Especially after today's events, and the crippling fear of almost losing everything. This, here, was family. This was life. And I laughed along, letting myself get caught up in their excitement while I was wrapped in my own.

"We don't have a date yet," Edward said. "Or a venue."

"But you will soon, right?" Alice fixed her gaze on us. "There's a beautiful guest house on the shores of Puget Sound that would be perfect. I could email them..."

"Slow down, Alice. Give us time." Edward ruffled her hair. She looked about to protest, but at his affectionate gesture, her face softened. And she gave a sheepish giggle.

"Sorry," she said. "I got carried away. I'll back off but if there's anything I can do to help..."

"We'll let you know."

"Do your parents know, Bella?" Esme's smile couldn't be any wider.

"Er, no. Not yet." They didn't even know Edward was back in my life, I realised. "I'll call them tomorrow." That was going to be an interesting conversation.

"It's been quite a day," Carlisle said, beaming at us. "The lowest of lows and the highest of highs."

There was a murmur of agreement and then a yawn escaped me.

"You need dinner and bed," Esme said and I nodded my agreement.

"I'll get bowls and forks," Alice said and hurried to the kitchen.

"Do you want me to grab you a beer, Edward?" Jasper motioned at the refrigerator.

"Maybe a whisky, thanks." Edward nodded towards the wall unit where a collection of spirits and appropriate glasses occupied the middle shelf.

Jasper grabbed a bottle of Glenfiddich. "Two fingers?"

"Make it three, tonight."

"Bella?" Jasper's face was expectant. "Can I get you something?"

"Um..."

It was strange to see him like this, offering drinks, practically playing host.

"Thanks, but not right now. I think I might have a shower. I smell of smoke and hospitals."

I wrinkled my nose before kissing Edward's cheek. "I need my comfy sweat pants and your Snoopy t-shirt."

He chuckled softly as I backed out of his embrace.

"Go and get comfortable," Esme said, coming forward and wrapping me in another hug. "Thank you," she whispered in my ear. "Thank you for everything."

She pulled back, smiling, and patted me on the arm. "Now go," she said. "Dinner will be ready when you are."

Behind her, Edward was watching us, his eyes warm. He winked at me. I smiled back. Then I made my way up the hall.

The babble of happy voices faded away as I shut the bedroom door and leant against it.

It had been a long, long, day. A long week, really.

There was still so much to process, and I had so many questions and thoughts.

The moonlight shone softly onto the bed, making silvery patterns on the puffy quilt. Was it only this morning that I'd laid there, looking out the window?

It looked so soft and warm and inviting, and I was so tired.

I decided to lay down, just for a minute...

-0-

It was sunny when I opened my eyes again. Edward was lying beside me, awake, propped up on one elbow, smiling.

"Back with us?" he asked.

"Hmm..."

My body felt heavy and I stretched. "It's morning. I slept through the night?" Except it didn't look like morning light. And somehow I'd changed into the Snoopy t-shirt.

"Um..." I sat up, rubbing my eyes. My stomach rumbled and I was instantly aware of a very pressing need for the bathroom. "Give me a sec."

When I walked back into the bedroom a moment later, Edward was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, his hair tumbling over his forehead, smiling that brilliant crooked smile. I felt a vague sense of disorientation. Like I was somehow out of place, or time.

There was no bandage on Edward's hand, I noticed.

The house was silent, absent of vampire voices.

My ring finger was bare.

"Aw, crap!"

"What's wrong?" Edward was immediately on alert, his smile shifting quickly to concern. "What?"

"This is where I realise it was all a dream, isn't it? The Volturi are still in charge, you're still in danger of exposure one day, and we aren't engaged."

"Bella..." Edward smirked a little as he climbed off the bed.

"I should have realised when Alice backed off about the wedding." I snorted a laugh. "Like that would ever happen."

"It wasn't a dream, Bella."

"Huh?"

He came to me, taking my hands in his, and now I saw there was a simpler, flatter dressing where the bandage had been.

"It's all real. The Volturi are gone, thanks to you. And we are most definitely engaged." He winked. "You'll have to come up with something better than _it was all a dream_ to get out of marrying me."

He reached past me to a small velvet box on the dresser and flipped the lid, revealing the sapphire inside.

"Oh..."

"See?

He smiled as he slid it back on my finger.

"As for Alice..." He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "The past twenty four hours have changed her, even if she doesn't fully realise it yet." He shrugged. "But she will," he said.

I wriggled my finger, letting the ring settle back into place.

"How long was I out?"

"You've been asleep for fourteen hours," he said, nudging my nose with his. "It's two o'clock Friday afternoon."

"Oh...but..Snoopy?" I looked down at my shirt.

"Well, you weren't completely asleep the whole time," Edward said. "You went for a shower and never came back. I found you curled up on the bed and when I took your shoes off you mumbled something about wanting a shower, so I undressed you and carried you in."

"We showered together?"

"We did. That's when I took your ring off. I didn't want it sliding off with the soap suds and going down the drain."

He lowered his head, grazing his lips over my throat.

"How do I not remember?"  
"You were very sleepy." He stopped grazing and looked up at me through his lashes. "And I was a perfect gentleman, in case you're wondering."

I snorted and he laughed.

"Of course you were. I'd expect nothing else." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I don't even remember hitting the pillow. I just thought I'd lay down for a minute and then...well, it's _now_."

I yawned and rubbed at my face. "I can't believe I slept so long. I hope your family doesn't think I'm rude."

"Not at all. You needed the sleep."

"How long were _you_ out?"

"About six hours."

"Really?" For 'Mr-Sleeps-Like-The-Dead' that was like a quick afternoon nap.

He shrugged. "Too much going on in my head," he said. "I'll probably crash tonight."

He pulled me back to the bed so we flopped onto the quilt and it billowed up around us.

"Tell me what happened while I was sleeping?"

"Not a lot," he began slow-walking his fingers across my stomach, nudging Snoopy away so he could touch my bare skin. "Alice took Jasper down to the national park last night to hunt for a few hours. They came back just before dawn and now they've gone with Carlisle and Esme in the mini van to pick up the McCarty's at the airport."

"Emmett and Rose are here already?" That was a total head spin.

"It's only a nine hour flight."

"Yeah, I know, but I've missed some time, remember? To me it feels like last night was ten minutes ago."

He chuckled and kissed my nose.

"What about the sun?" I asked. "How can the others..."

"Tinted windows," Edward said. "And VIP underground parking."

"VIP?"

His lips twitched. "It's amazing what a vampire voice and a platinum credit card can accomplish."

Of course. I should have realised.

"We should have gone to get them," I said. "Saved your family the trouble."

"You were fast asleep Bella."

"But you weren't."  
"I wasn't going to leave you." His eyes softened as he ran his fingers along my cheekbone. "I knew you'd be safe if I did, it's not that I was worried." He shrugged shyly. "I'm just not ready to be apart from you. Not yet."

My heart melted a little and I touched his cheek.

His intense green eyes held mine. "Getting Alice's call, driving to get to you, those twenty minutes in your flat..." He closed his eyes, his face contorted in a grimace, and I felt a subtle shudder run through him. But his gaze was calm when he opened them again.

"I'm just not ready to be apart from you," he whispered.

He nestled into the crook of my neck and I let my fingers play in his hair.

"A mini van, huh?"

"Twelve seater."

"A big change from the Mercedes."

Edward chuckled softly.

"It is," he said, placing a barely-there kiss on my collarbone. I sighed.

"It's nice like this," I said. "Just lying here together. In the quiet. No dramas."

"There'll be drama when Max and Hannah fight over the bean bags."

"Huh?"  
He grinned as he traced slow circles round my belly button.

"I have bean bags for for when they come and stay. Something to sit on while they watch TV. They always fight over the blue one because it has..." He stopped and the frown was back. "Actually, I still don't know what it is. I _thought_ it was a dinosaur when I bought it. But Hannah insists it's a dragon, which it might be. I can't tell now. It could be either."

I thought I could see where this was going.

"But because Hannah thinks it's a dragon, she wants it."

"Yes. And Max thinks, like I originally did, that it's a dinosaur and belongs to him.

"What's on the other bean bag? The one they don't want?"

"Cupcakes."

A giggle burst from my lips.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I'm just imagining you buying a bean bag with cupcakes on it."

"I thought it was cute." He was trying to look offended, but there was a smile lurking at the corner of his mouth.

"Does it have a pink background?"

"Purple. But some of the cupcakes have pink icing."

I was giggling again and Edward was grinning down at me.

"So what happens? Do they take turns?"

"Eventually, yeah." He rolled onto his back, arms behind his head, smiling at the ceiling. "After the yelling and screaming. Max will have it for one tv show or movie, and then Hannah has it for the next one. We work out a roster and put it on the fridge."

"Really? An actual roster?"

"You have to be organised about these things Bella, or chaos ensues."

Of course, that had me laughing again.

It felt so good, having normal conversations. Talking about normal things. A normal life. There were still things to deal with from yesterday, but right now all I wanted was... _normal._  
"We should plan a vacation," I said. "To Greece. We'll visit the ruins."

Edward rolled onto his side, his eyes glittering with excitement.

"And hire a yacht. Sail round the islands."

"Can you sail a yacht?"

"Of course I can." He rolled his eyes and I ruffled his hair.

"But there's still stuff to sort through first, isn't there?"

Edward exhaled.

"Unfortunately," he said. "And soon we'll have a houseful. But before my family descends..."

His hand found its way back to my belly. More slow circles, each sweeping slightly lower than the last, making me shiver in delight. And anticipation.

"Before we have to think about anything or anyone else, right now..." His vivid eyes held mine.

"I want to be in the sun."

.

Grinning, he piggy-backed me out of the bedroom and grabbed a couple of beach towels that seemed to permanently hang from the railing of the deck. He draped them round his neck and then took the stairs, two at a time, down onto the beach below.

For someone who'd been in hospital the day before, he was doing alright, jogging easily and swiftly along the wet sand towards the headland while I clung tight to him, laughing.

The afternoon sun beat down, hot and strong, warming our skin. The water sparkled, it's vivid blue shimmering beneath a bright sky. My hair blew around my face.

"Where are we going?" I cried over the sound of wind and ocean.

"I want to show you something!"

He kept jogging, all the way up the beach, until we reached the rock platform at the foot of the cliff. The waves were rolling in, crashing against the stone plateau as Edward eased me down from his back, chest heaving, and took my hand.

"Come on," he said, smiling as he caught his breath.

He led me carefully amongst the rock pools as we made our way around the face of the cliff.

"Hold tight," Edward called and gripped my hand harder as a large wave came crashing closer. The water didn't reach us though, barely lapping our feet, but we waited, giving it time to retreat before we continued across the platform.

We clambered over and around some rocks, to the front of the cliff face, and then I saw it.

"Oh...wow!"

The rock wall curved inwards, creating a small, secluded beach tucked away between giant boulders that sat like sentinels at the foot of the cliff.

"What do you think?" he asked, pulling me close, smiling down at me.

"It's like a private little lagoon. And the water's so calm."

"There's a rock platform further out," he said pointing a little way into the distance where water crashed and foamed, seemingly over nothing. "The waves break out there so what we get here is gentler.

"A gentle ebb and flow," I murmured. "It's beautiful. Do you come here much?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes. It shows the sea from a different perspective, I think. It's a great place for photos, and it's private. Not many people make the effort to come round here."

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

"Can you smell it?" He smiled. "The sea and the sun?"

"The sun?"

His eyes opened. "You can't smell it?"

"The sea, sure, but the sun...I don't know..."

I sniffed enthusiastically and Edward laughed.

"What does the sun smell like? Give me a clue."

"A clue...I don't know if I can..."

He took my hand and led me onto the small sweep of sand. He spread the towels and we laid down, side by side, hands clasped. Edward draped his other arm over his eyes as he smiled up at the sky. The water lapped gently at our feet.

"It smells warm," he said. "And real. And new." He peeked out from under his arm. "I'm not making sense, am I?"

I wrinkled my nose. "No, I think I get it. I'm thinking...the smell of linen sheets, freshly washed and then dried in the sun?"

He smiled. "That's pretty close."

"And you can smell that on its own? Without the sheets?"

He nodded.

I rolled onto my side, propped myself up on an elbow, and drew a slow circle over his chest. The fabric of his t-shirt puckered up under my finger, making the motion less than smooth. In an easy move Edward reached down, grabbed the hem, and tugged it neatly over his head, leaving him bare-chested.

"Don't stop," he murmured, closing his eyes.

So I didn't.

I traced around his navel, and then spiralled upwards, over the hard planes of his chest. At his heart I stopped, and rested my palm over the steady thrum beneath.

This felt so easy. So relaxed. Just being together with no drama hovering in the background.

Edward covered his hand with mine.

"I think it's starting to sink in." He blinked up at me.

"What?"

"That I'm not a danger to you." A shy smile curved his lips. "It's always been there, the fear. At the back of my mind, or sometimes front and centre. From that first moment you sat next to me in biology. But now..." He sighed, and smiled, and squinted up at the sun. Then he smiled. "Come swimming with me?"

"Now? We don't have swim suits with us."

"That's okay."

He sat up as my mouth popped open.

"Skinny dipping?"

"It's secluded here." He ran a slow finger along the bare skin of my arm, leaving a trail of heat and goosebumps behind. "If we don't go out too far no-one will even see us."

My first instinct was to say no, but the look in Edward's eyes quickly changed my mind.

"Yes," I whispered.

I peeled out of my clothes as Edward kicked off his shorts. Then he took my hand and together we ran, naked, into the water.

I'd seen Edward naked many times, but here, like this in the ocean, was something really special.

The word _magnificent_ flitted through my mind as his body surged through the water, towing us out until we were waist deep.

The water splashed up around us and Edward laughed as I squealed.

"It's cold!"

"Too cold?"

I giggled. "No. Not cold at all really. Just...different."

Then he slowly took me in his arms.

"This feels amazing," I murmured as he brushed his lips along the edge of my jaw. My head was tilted back, my body bare to the sun as Edward's mouth explored, teasing across my throat and down to my shoulder. He bent his body over mine and I clutched his broad back, pulling him impossibly closer.

And then he was kissing me, and it felt new. A subtle surrender and freedom that hadn't been there before. Like he could truly love me without fear.

Our bodies, slick and wet, moved together. A gentle press and sway in time with our lips as the water embraced us.

Edward's hands slid down to my backside, cupping me, pulling me hard against him. He lifted me like I weighed nothing and I locked my legs tight around his hips. His desire was obvious as he walked us into deeper water.

In a swift move, he was inside me, making me gasp and a strangled moan escaped him as he dropped his head onto my shoulder. With an arm behind my back and the other beneath my thighs, he began a slow rhythm, thrusting gently, back and forth, in time with the ebb of the ocean.

The muscles of his arms and back flexed and strained beneath my hands. The sensation of sun and sea _and Edward_ , was almost too much. I felt my heart might explode, and tears burned at the back of my eyes.

Edward lifted his head, his heavy-lidded gaze holding mine as he kept up that exquisite cadence. His body had the power of the ocean and the warmth of the sun and I was lost in him. Lost in those sea-green eyes and the feel of him, around me and within me. Lost in the deep, flickering burn inside that licked and teased and promised.

"So beautiful," he murmured, kissing me, his lips and tongue matching the movement of his hips.

And I felt beautiful.

When his lips moved to my throat, I tossed my head back, arching, letting the sun caress my breasts as I rocked myself against him.

He groaned again, a primal growl from deep inside him. Our pace changed, becoming faster, somehow deeper, and then I was touching the sun, shattering and burning while Edward shuddered and shook, his love pulsing through me while he cried my name against my shoulder.

.

We came back to earth, floating together in the sun.

Fingers linked, we made languid easy movements through the water, enjoying the sea's caress, smiling secret smiles at each other.

"Wow," I whispered.

"Wow," Edward whispered back. "I love you, you know."

"I know." I squeezed his hand. "I love you too."

I wound my arms around his neck and he grinned, pulling me close, his hands resting on my hips.

I kissed the tiny salt-and-pepper freckles that dusted his shoulders.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

He took my hand from around his neck, touching the sapphire he'd placed on my finger.

"Will you do me the honour of marrying me?"  
For a second I was confused, but when I saw his eyes I thought I understood.

He didn't want his proposal associated with the Volturi.

"Yes," I smiled. "I'll marry you."

The joy in his eyes was as bright as if he was hearing it for the first time.

"I'll make you happy," he said, kissing my hand. "I promise. Every day."

"You already do."

Then I kissed him and he wrapped his arms around me like he'd never let go.

The wind came up. A soft breeze that brushed over my skin and gave me goosebumps.

"Time to go in," Edward immediately said, and towed me to the shore.

We dried and dressed, playfully flicking each other with our towels. Then I climbed on Edward's back and we made our way back across the rock platform and onto the main beach.

"Who's that?" I asked as we neared the house. "There's someone on your deck. Is it..."

"Emmett," Edward said.

And then there was a cheer of young voices and two tiny figures came bounding down the steps onto the sand.

"Uncle Nedwood!"

I laughed and clambered off Edward's back.

"Go," I said.

He kissed me quickly, then ran to them, dropping to his knees and opening his arms. He swept them up, hugging them close as Emmett watched from the deck. I lifted my hand in a wave and he waved back, and I could see the big goofy grin lighting up his face even from a distance.

Edward stood, a child hanging off each arm and looked over his shoulder at me, grinning.

"Look who I found, Bella."

"Max and Hannah! Where did you come from?" I feigned surprise and the children laughed.

"Come on," Edward said to me. "Lets race them back to the house."

The children squealed and took off, giggling in delight as Edward and I did a slow jog behind them.

Max and Hannah won, of course.

We came up the stairs, making a show of puffing and panting. Emmett was waiting for us and he swept me into an enormous bear hug as soon as I set foot on the deck.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "I get to keep my family because of you. My kids grow up, because of you."

I felt wetness against my cheek and realised they were tears. My heart clenched, I didn't know what to say.

"Em..."

He pulled back quickly, blinking and wiping roughly at his eyes.

"Edward," he said, pulling his brother into a hard embrace. "No words, my brother. I have no words." Then he let Edward go.

"So," he said, all hearty again and punching me gently on the arm. "What about you? A single bullet? I'm gonna call you One-Shot-Swan from now on."

"Oh, um..." I didn't know how I felt about that but I didn't get a chance to think because Emmett had taken me by the hand.

"Come on," he said. "Rose wants to say thank you, too."

The living room was full of Cullens and McCarty's, all talking and laughing.

"We let ourselves back in," Carlisle said. "We didn't think you'd mind."

"Of course not," Edward said. "We just thought we'd have a quick swim."

Rosalie looked tired, the dark circles and hollows beneath her eyes a testament to the worry and sleepless nights of the past week. She was sitting in the comfy chair and I waved away her attempts to get up. Instead, I leant down and she embraced me with heavy arms.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything."

I didn't know what to say. _My pleasure_ , didn't seem right. _You're welcome_ didn't fit either. So I just smiled.

"You're looking good," I said.

"I look awful. Two international flights in a week will take it out of you. But I'm almost at the point where I can't fly anymore..." She patted her belly. "If I didn't come home now, I'd have to wait until after the birth."

She shifted and adjusted the small cushion behind her, smiling as she watched her children clambering all over Edward and taking shy looks at Alice and Jasper.

"You have eyes like Aunty Esme," Hannah said to Alice.

"Yes," Alice replied. "I do."

It occurred to me then that, while Max and Hannah skyped with Carlisle and Esme regularly, it mustn't be the same with Alice and Jasper.

"Can we watch television!" Max was jumping up and down.

"I get the dragon bag!" Hannah chimed in.

"No!"

"Hey," Edward called a halt to the argument that was blossoming. "How about you watch TV in my room?"

This was obviously the preferred option because they took off, running up the hallway and everyone laughed.

Rosalie smiled at him, and her eyes filled.

"Thanks," she whispered and he patted her shoulder as he walked past her to follow the kids up the hall.

The conversation turned to dinner plans and it was decided to order pizza, just for the ease of it. There was laughter from up the hall, and then a few minutes later, Edward returned.

"All settled?" Esme asked.

"Yep," he said. "They're watching the Kids Network. We should be good for an hour."

"Good," Rosalie said and adjusted her position once more. "That gives us time to talk. Now, Carlisle and Alice filled us in on the way here about what happened in Bella's flat, but can someone please tell us about this Marion person?"

She looked around the room at us all.

"Actually, I'd like to know too," I said. We'd been so caught up with the Volturi and the fire and hospitals, we hadn't really got to the bottom of the mysterious curator.

Edward glanced at Jasper.

"It's quite a story," he said. "You want to tell them, Jasper?

-o0o-

 **A/N: We're very close to the end. A few loose ends to tie up, some explanations to come, but we're nearly there : )**

 **Thank you for all the wonderful reviews for the last chapter, I appreciate them all so much : )**

 **I know this chapter was an extra-long time coming. There's been a lot going on at my end and sometimes real life has to take priority, so I appreciate your patience.**

 **There were a few questions in reviews for the last chapter, and most of them will be answered in the next chapter : )**

 **One Guest review asked a question about Edward's soul. Because I can't reply to Guest reviews, I'll answer here...**

 **The question was related to Bella fearing for Edward's loss of his precious soul if Aro changed him back to a vampire.**

 **Yes, Bella does believe vampires have souls. She believes Edward had a soul when he was a vampire. But it doesn't matter what she thinks if Edward doesn't believe he has a soul. In "New Moon", Carlisle touches on that in the scene at the disastrous birthday party. I don't have the book in front of me now, but he basically says to Bella that he agrees with her, he hopes and believes there is more for his son, but that if Edward doesn't believe he has a soul, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. So that's one reason why Bella feared for Edward becoming a vampire again, because she knew he'd spend eternity believing he was soulless (even if she believed differently).**

 **The next chapter won't take so long : ) It's already half written!**

 **This chapter was is un-beta'd so, you know, if you find anything I've missed, please let me know : )**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **-ooo0ooo-**

 **In which Bella has a meltdown...**

.

Jasper leant against the bookshelves, his hands sunk casually in his pockets, while we gathered round to hear Marion's story.

"Edward already knows the whole story, and some of you know parts of it..." He looked at Carlisle and Esme and Alice. "So I hope you don't mind listening to those parts again while I go into deeper detail this time, now that everyone's here."

For a vague second I wondered why Edward hadn't already told me everything, but then Jasper started to speak and my attention was rivetted on him.

He'd always been the quiet one. I'd never heard more than a few words from him, but now, as he began to reveal Marion's tale, it was obvious what a gifted speaker he was.

It wasn't in the words he used, but the way he used them. It was in the lilt and rhythm of his voice, and the way his eyes made me feel like I was the only person in the conversation.

He reminded me vaguely of an English professor I had in college.

"We knew Marion had been a lecturer of European history at the University of Bucharest," he began. "I wondered if that history only covered the usual socio-economic and political strands, or if it might have included myths and legends as well, so I decided to look up her published papers. Turns out, she had a side-line area of research - the role of medieval superstition in modern vampire mythology, and in one of her earliest essays there was a single sentence that grabbed my attention... _I was raised on tales of the old country._ "

"Ah..." Esme was nodding. "There's a personal connection," she said, picking up on something I'd obviously missed.

"Yeah," Jasper said. "There is, and it's a long story that started in a Romanian village more than eighty years ago, when Marion's great-grandparents, Cristina and Gheorghe, were married."

I didn't know what I'd been expecting, but this wasn't it and I inched forward on my seat, eager to hear more.

"You got all that from one sentence?" Emmett was skeptical.

"No," Jasper shook his head. "But because of that sentence I emailed one of her former colleagues, a Professor Garden, pretended I was an American academic interested in Marion's research and luckily Marion had shared a lot of information which the good professor was happy to share with me. He sent me a long email, detailing their conversations, and we spoke on the phone last night...actually..." He turned to Edward. "Can I cast onto your TV? I could put the email up for everyone to read."

Edward started to stand but Esme motioned for him to stop

"No, you tell us Jasper," she said and I nodded my agreement. I'd rather listen to him than read a dry old email.

"How about both," Alice suggested, smiling. "That way you can fill in any gaps that aren't in the email."

It only took a moment for Edward and Jasper to work out the technology and suddenly Edward's enormous flat screen was displaying rows and rows of tightly written correspondence between Prof Graeme Garden, and Jasper Whitlock, PhD.

"PhD?" Emmett snorted.

"It adds some weight and legitimacy," Jasper grinned.

Rosalie was squinting hard at the screen.

"Nope, can't read that without my glasses. You'll have to keep talking Jasper. Everyone else can read ahead if they want."

My own attention flickered between Jasper and the email, listening to him and scanning the words at the same time.

"So..." Jasper took a breath. "According to the professor, while Marion was growing up in England, her great-grandmother Cristina told her stories about her early life in Romania. Most were the usual folk tales that had been handed down through generations, but one story was personal, about her and her first husband Gheorghe." Jasper gestured at the screen.

It seemed Cristina had been just seventeen, and Gheorghe twenty, when they married.

The marriage had been a love-match that started in childhood, and their wedding celebrations had lasted all day and involved the whole village. Then, as evening approached, their families and friends had gone to their homes and Gheorghe had taken his new bride to the cottage he'd built near the edge of the forest.

"They were superstitious people," Jasper said. "They'd all grown up with vampire folklore and Gheorghe made sure he and Cristina were safely inside, with ropes of garlic at the windows, before the sun went down."

"Garlic." Emmett snorted and Rosalie gave him a swift, hard, stare.

"Keep going, Jasper," she said.

"That night, Cristina gave him a wedding gift," Jasper continued. "A woollen cap she'd knitted for him, blue with a red turned-up cuff. He gave her a dove, carved out of wood because apparently that's what he always called her, his dove."

They celebrated their wedding night and in the morning the fire had gone out and the cottage was cold. Gheorghe rebuilt the fire with wood he'd stacked beside the hearth. Then he'd pulled on his clothes to go outside and gather more from the woodpile. Cristina begged him to wait a little longer. The sun was barely creeping into the sky, the shadows of night still lingered on the ground and she was fearful.

So was I.

"He didn't go, did he?"

Jasper smiled a gentle smile. "He'd promised her she would never be cold, that the hearth would always be stacked with wood, and the woodpile outside would never run low. He wasn't about to let the cottage stay cold while he waited for the sun. He wouldn't break his promise on the first day of their lives together."

So he'd tugged his new cap onto his head, and stepped outside.

"Cristina waited. And waited. Gheorghe never returned," Jasper said quietly. "When she ran outside calling his name, there was no sign of him. He was gone."

The email was just a blur of lines in the background as Jasper's voice had me leaning forward, almost falling off my seat. Edward tugged me back, gently.

Jasper moved away from the screen and went to stand behind Alice as she sat on the other sofa. He rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Weeks passed..." he continued. "There were rumours and theories among the villagers. Some people talked of wolf attacks, a few said the bridegroom got cold feet and ran off. But most were convinced Gheorghe had been taken by a vampire."

Cristina's family insisted she return to them, but she refused. She believed Gheorghe would come back to her so she stayed in the cottage, growing vegetables that she sold and bartered in the village.

Her son, Gabriel, was born later that year, and a year after that, at the beginning of winter, Cristina woke one morning to find the hearth stacked with wood.

"She ran outside, hoping to find Gheorghe. There was no sign of him, but the woodpile had been replenished too, with enough wood for the whole winter."

A shiver ran through me and Edward's hand tightened around mine. Jasper came to sit on the floor at Alice's feet.

"He'd been in the house," I whispered.

"Looks that way." Jasper nodded. "Months went by and as the seasons passed and Autumn came round, the wood pile, which had grown low, was suddenly replenished again, and there were toys left by the hearth. Intricately carved animals and toy soldiers, with incredible, delicate detail."

Emmett sniffed and began blinking fast.

"Toy soldiers are always fun," he said gruffly.

The routine with the wood pile continued. Jasper told how Cristina eagerly awaited the end of each Autumn. Then one night, when Gabriel was six years old and Autumn was fading fast, she woke in the night and saw Gheorghe standing in the doorway. In the soft light cast by the fire, she could see his skin was pale white, and his eyes red. He'd smiled at her and she'd thought him more beautiful than she ever remembered; almost an unearthly beauty. He was wearing the cap she'd made him and he'd reached up, brushing his fingers over it tenderly. It was slightly worn, she noticed; fraying a little round the edge. She reached for him, and said his name, but he was suddenly gone.

"She told Marion it was like he'd vanished into dust, like he'd never even been there and she wondered if it was a dream."

I knew what that felt like and it reminded me of those early dreams I'd had in Forks, of Edward in my room.

"Cristina got up to follow him," Jasper went on. "But there was nothing to follow and no-one to find. She did find something, though. There was a wooden train with two carriages left by the fireplace. She knew then that it hadn't been a dream, and it didn't matter to her if he was an angel or a vampire, Gheorghe had returned."

"Hang on," Rosalie raised a hand. "So, it occurred to Cristina that he could be a vampire? Meaning she, they, the people in the village, knew what real vampires looked like?"

"Seems that way," Jasper said, frowning. "The traditional myths, like garlic and crucifixes and probably fangs, got mixed in with the truth..."

"And that's why Marion's more recent research was about old superstitions and _modern_ vampire mythology." Esme was nodding. "She knew there was more to the myths."

"I think so," Jasper said.

"So did Gheorghe start coming into the house?" Emmett asked. "Did he start visiting properly now that she'd seen him."

"No. He didn't."

Emmett shook his head, his brow creased.

"How could he not go and see his kid properly?"

"Fear," Edward said. "For his son's safety. And his wife's."

Emmett went to speak, then stopped.

"Yeah," he said, exhaling sharply. "It's a risk you wouldn't want to take."

"Go on, Jasper." Rosalie waved at him to continue. "What happened?"

"Cristina hoped Gheorghe would come back, maybe talk to her. Stay, even. But it didn't happen. Years went by and the routine continued. Gheorghe came at the end of Autumn and kept the wood pile stocked so she and Gabriel would always be warm."

"How sad. And lovely." Esme was blinking hard, as though fighting tears. "Did he bring more toys?"

"I don't know. But Cristina made sure Gabriel knew the toys were from his father, and that his father loved him."

Rosalie bit her lip and wiped at her eyes.

"What happened next?" I asked.

"The Great Depression," Jasper answered. "It's effects were gradually spreading out through the countryside."

The village was disappearing. People were leaving to find work elsewhere. Cristina's brother had been lucky to find a job in Bucharest and was moving there with his wife and children. He wanted Gabriel and Cristina to go with them.

"Cristina refused to go at first," Jasper said. "Until she realised there wasn't any future for her son in the village. Gabriel was very bright and with the small village school closed, Cristina knew how important it was that he have every possible opportunity. She knew this was what Gheorghe would want for his son. So they moved. But before she left, she wrote Gheorghe a letter. She hadn't had as much schooling as Gheorghe and it took her a week, and some help from Gabriel's school books, to write it."

"Was it a love letter?" Alice asked.

"It was." Jasper smiled looking up at her. "And in it she told Gheorghe how she missed him. She told him about Gabriel, how smart and funny he was, and how they were leaving so he could have the future she knew he should have. She thanked Gheorghe for looking after them; for the wood, and the toys and she'd knitted him a new cap, because she was worried the first one was getting thin. She told him she'd never forget him. Then she tucked the letter inside the cap, and left it by the hearth the day they packed up and moved away."

Rosalie narrowed her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling he didn't find it?"

"Because Cristina's brother didn't realise what it was. He just thought it was a cap and he gathered it up while he was helping load things into his truck. He handed it to her when they reached Bucharest. She was devestated."

Tears pooled in my eyes and I blinked them back quickly.

"Did she go back?" I asked. "Did she go back to leave it there?"

"No." Jasper said. "There was no opportunity for her to go back."

"But Gheorghe would have known, wouldn't he? He would have heard them talking about the move, or seen them? And he'd know where to find her again?"  
Jasper shook his head. "Not necessarily," he said. "It's pretty clear that Gheorghe spent most of the year away from the village."

"But why? Why would he go away from them?"

"To hunt," Edward said. "He couldn't risk feeding too much in the one area."

"It draws suspicion," Carlisle added. "Especially in a small population."

"But he still found her, didn't he?" I looked from Edward and Carlisle to Jasper. "Once he realised she'd gone. He would have tracked her down."

"I'm sure he would have tried," Rosalie answered for the others, her voice kind. "But not all vampires can track successfully. I know it wasn't my forte. And, sometimes...well, he might have thought it was best for her if she moved on."

A tear spilled onto my cheek.

"So they lost each other?"

"It seems that way."

I brushed the tear away, wondreing why I was so emotional over two people I didn't know, and whose story had played out and been decided nearly a hundred years ago. I took a deep breath, and focused back on Jasper.

He was looking at the TV, paraphrasing the words of the email.

"Gabriel grew up and got a scholarship to university in England. Cristina, her brother and his family, all followed. Cristina worked hard on her English and she found work in a hospital. She eventually became a qualified nurse, and she married again." He gestured at the screen.

Cristina saw Gabriel marry too, and he gave her four grandchildren. She watched them grow up, all happy and succesful, carving out lives and careers and having families of their own. It was a long way from the tiny Romanian village and Cristina was proud of what she and Gheorghe had started.

"She was particularly close to Marion," Jasper said. "And years later, after Cristina's second husband died, it was Marion she talked to about Gheorghe and the woodpile and her belief that he had become immortal."

"She was still superstitious?" Esme asked.

"Always," Jasper said.

"And Marion believed too?" Alice was curious.

Jasper screwed up his nose in a what I thought was a very cute and very un-Jasper-like way.

"It's unclear," he said. "She told Garden that it would be easy enough for someone in the village to have stocked the wood pile and made the toys and the vision of Gheorghe in the doorway could have been a dream or wishful thinking. But in his opinion, Marion had room for doubt and possibility. And Cristina's stories did fuel a passion in her for history and folklore."

So she pursued an academic career and found a place at the University of Bucharest.

"The night before Marion flew out to Romania, Cristina gave her the letter and the cap."

I gasped and Alice clapped her hands.

Rosalie smiled. "She'd kept them?"

"Yep. And she asked Marion to go to the old village and leave them hidden somewhere near the cottage."

"In case he ever went back there?" I asked and Jasper nodded.

"She believed he'd find them."

"Why didn't she take it herself? Rose asked.

"Fear, I'm guessing." Jasper considered a moment. "She had her memories of Gheorghe and the cottage and I think she probably wanted to keep them untouched. If she went back and the cottage was gone, or different..."

"She didn't want to risk the memory." Rosalie nodded. "I get it. But did Marion do what Cristina asked?"

"She did. And the cottage _was_ gone. She said the village had grown and there was a row of houses where the cottage should have been."

"So what did she do?"

"She kept the letter and the cap," Jasper said. "She didn't tell Cristina. And Cristina never asked."

"I'd want to know," Alice said, clutching her hands to her chest. "I couldn't bear not knowing, the always wondering."

Edward shook his head. "But not knowing means she could believe the cottage is still there, unchanged, and that Gheorghe came back and found her letter."

Esme was nodding her agreement. "I don't think I'd want to know if it was gone," she said. "Sometimes it's nicer to believe."

I thought about that for a moment and decided Esme might have a point.

"We don't know much more of the story," Jasper said and I focused back on him quickly. "Garden said she became secretive in the months before her disappearance. She joked with him once that she was going to find Gheorghe and give him Marion's gift."

"So she _did_ believe?"

Jasper shrugged. "We can't be sure if she did at that time. She had a trip to Italy planned and she was going to visit Volterra as part of her research into St Marcus driving the vampires out of the city. She never came back." He frowned softly. "Garden was very forthcoming," he said. "Almost eager to talk about her..." He lifted his gaze to Alice. "Like when a person is in love and they want to talk about that person to anyone who'll listen."

"Oh?" Alice blinked at him. "You think this Professor Garden was in love with Marion?"

"It's impossible to know without meeting him, but I got the vague sense of it while we talked. And a little from the email." He nodded towards the screen.

"I wonder if she loved him?" Rosalie murmured.

"Hang on..." I was confused. "Someone drove the vampires out of Volterra?"

The sound of good-natured chuckling ran through the room.

"It's just an old story." Rosalie explained. "The legend of St Marcus. Ironic though, isn't it, considering the vampires never left the city."

Yeah, I thought. Very ironic.

"Another Marcus," I murmured. "There seems to be a theme here." In my mind I saw Marc with a gun pointed at me and I pushed the memory away quickly, hugging myself though the room wasn't cold.

"Do you think she knew the danger she was putting herself in when she went to Volterra?" Emmett asked.

"I doubt it," Edward said. "I can't imagine she would have gone if she'd known the whole truth." He considered a moment. "Her knowledge or understanding of vampires would have been coloured by the stories of Gheorghe."

"The warm and fuzzy vampire toymaker?" Emmett got up to get a beer from the fridge. "If that's true I'm guessing she saw something in Volterra that made her change her mind." He offered a bottle to Edward, who shook his head.

"I'll stick with whisky tonight, I think."

Carlisle leant back and stretched out his legs in a very human move that was so natural it made me wonder if it was by deliberate design or merely habit.

"I think you're right Emmett," he said. "If Marion's as persuasive as we think she is, then she's probably perceptive too. The two often go together. I'd say she got a clear picture of the truth pretty quickly and got out of there."

"Marc never said exactly what happened between Marion and Heidi. I'm not sure he even knew." I looked around me at seven curious faces. "

"Well, whatever happened..." Carlisle said, "it was enough to make her change her name, give up her career, and disappear."

"And it was enough to make her react the way she did when she saw your scar." Edward traced his finger over the silver crescent on my wrist.

"And enough to make Aro turn her into a mission." Emmett took a mouthful of his beer. "He put a lot of effort into tracking her down."

"Aro was nothing if not suspicious," Carlisle said evenly. "Suspicious to the point of paranoia. He'd seized power from Stefan and Vladimir and more than a thousand years later, he was still watching for signs that they'd try to overthrow him and take back that power. That much was evident even when I was at Volterra."

"He was still suspicious, even after so long?" I couldn't get my head around that.

"Even after so long," Carlisle answered. "Vampire memories are long and while Stefan and Vladimir aren't in a position to overthrow him, I can promise you, they haven't given up on the idea. Aro knew that too. So the vaguest suggestion of anything Romanian would have had him on alert. Although..." He shrugged. "It would still be nice to know exactly what transpired between Heidi and Marion."

"Wouldn't it have been easier for him to just check out Stefan and Vladimir?" Emmett asked. "One handshake and then he'd know."

Carlisle smiled.

"Aro didn't work that way," he said. "I don't doubt he had his people on the lookout, making subtle investigations after the Marion incident, but he wouldn't want to put Stefan and Vladimir on guard. And he wouldn't want them to think he was concerned. That would be revealing a weakness. No, he'd want them completely unaware that he suspected anything. That way, in his mind, he'd have the upper hand."

"Well, the important thing..." Esme said, "is to let Marion know she's safe and maybe she'll tell us what happened in the castle. But I also think..." she paused, looking at each of us, "we should try to help her find Gheorghe."

There was general surprise, then Alice beamed.

"Yes!" she said. "We'll find him and he can know about his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and that Cristina had always loved him and died loving him."

"Actually..." A faint smile tugged at Jasper's lips. "You've assumed too much. Cristina's still alive."

Someone gasped. Someone else laughed.

"She must be ancient," Emmett said.

"Ninety six."

"Then that settles it." Esme was suddenly all business. "We find him."

My mind was in a whirl. "Are you saying they could be reunited?"

"Possibly," Esme answered. "In whatever way would be safest. It would be wonderful if they could see each other one more time." Her voice wobbled slightly on those last words.

Alice grinned at her husband. "What do we do, Jasper?"

There was a slightly bamboozled look in Jasper's eyes.

"Er, well, I've already tracked Marion to Singapore so it probably won't take much more work to make contact and let her know she's safe, but finding Gheorghe..." He frowned. "That's real needle in a haystack stuff. It could take years, if ever."

"Then the sooner we start, the better. We don't know what information Marion might already have about him. She might be able to give us some direction and oh! Can you imagine their reunion?" Alice was beaming. "Even if they just wave at each other from a distance? Oh, oh, wait! What if they renew their vows? A second wedding?"

Her eyes were bright and had taken on that slightly wild look I'd seen before when she wanted to dress me for prom.

"Slow down, Alice." Jasper smiled affectionately at his wife and squeezed her hand. "Lets contact Marion first."

Suddenly everyone was talking at once, working out what to do next and where Gheorghe might be and wondering what Marion had seen or heard in Volterra.

"What about Heidi?" My voice broke through the babble as a knot began forming in my stomach. "And Marc? Shouldn't we find out about them too?"

I felt like there was still this big, slightly scary question mark hanging over us with them on the run.

Edward had said not to worry about them, that Heidi was obviously scared of the Volturi and the flight to Alaska was her getting as far away as she could from Italy, but still...

I wasn't sure how everyone could have moved on so quickly from yesterday's horror to arranging weddings for Marion's great-grandparents.

Everyone went quiet and looked at me.

"Look, if I'm honest, I'm still worried about them." I swallowed hard as the knot tightened a little.

"We have family in Alaska," Carlisle said gently. "I've already been in touch and they'll be keeping an eye on things when the plane lands and we'll know more then. But Edward is right, Heidi would have been on borrowed time in Volterra, and if she's formed a bond with Marc, she'll be planning to disappear with him. As for the pilot?" He shrugged. "He wouldn't want to be known as the human who survived while his vampire masters went up in flames. He'll be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life, even though there's nothing to look for anymore."

He spoke with such calm authority, the knot began to loosen again, just a little.

"And the few members of the guard who are left in Volterra will just drift away," he continued. "As we said before, there's no-one left with any ability to create or wield power, even if they had the desire, which I doubt."

Edward hugged me closer.

Rosalie reached over awkwardly and took my hand.

"It's okay, Bella," she said. "If there was anything to worry about I wouldn't be sitting here calmly like this while my husband brought me orange juice and a footstool."

"Huh?" Emmett frowned. "I'm not...oh...yeah, okay, onto it."

He pushed the footstool across from the corner and then hurried to the kitchen.

I felt a little calmer but there was something still nagging at me and as my mind played over the events of the past few days, a memory came crashing through and I gasped.

"Oh!"  
"Bella?" Edward was concerned.

"Marc...he said something about the Volturi rules keeping humans safe." I turned to Carlisle. "He said they kept things in check and there'd be chaos without them. Humans would become little more than cattle and slaves." My mouth was dry and I swallowed hard. "He said the world would go back the way it was when the Romanians were in power."

My heart clenched as I remembered. I'd tried to convince Marc otherwise, but now I wondered if he might have had a point and I considered the sickening possibility that my actions might have actually put humankind in danger.

"The world is a very different place now," Carlisle said. "And it's not a world where Stefan and Vladimir could come to any sort of power."

"But it sounds like Aro really did a job on this Marc person." Jasper frowned. "He made the Volturi sound like super heroes?"

"Basically."

"All they needed were the capes," Edward said and everyone laughed though I wasn't sure why. "Dracula joke," he whispered to me. "I'll explain later."

"Oh..."

"I wouldn't worry, Bella." Jasper was smiling. "We'll keep a look out for any activity that's out of the ordinary and with technology the way it is now it'll be easy to track down a problem and deal with it. It'll be known that there are still rules, even without a Volturi."

There was certainty in his words, a matter-of-factness that was comforting.

Rosalie smirked. "Sounds like there's a new sherrif in town."

Jasper looked momentarily surprised, then tipped an imaginery hat.

"Yes, ma'am," he drawled. "I guess there is."

The conversation turned again, going back to Marion and Edward flicked off the television while Jasper pulled up his laptop. Hannah and Max were calling out from the bedroom, and Emmett went to supervise. Edward's stomach rumbled.

"Dinner time," he mumbled and got up to go to the kitchen.

Alice was talking about weddings and mentioned ours which led to Rosalie's shock and demands of why she hadn't been told.

"There's been other stuff going on," Edward laughed as she waved him and me over for a hug because she said it would take her until our first anniversary before she'd be able to get out of the chair. Emmett joined in the congratulations when he came back in the room and there was much back-slapping and teasing between him and Edward.

Esme was working with Alice on theories for Gheorghe's whereabouts. Carlisle and Jasper were on the laptop, maybe tracking Marion. Edward went back to the kitchen. Rosalie asked me if we had a date set and where the wedding might be.

"You can always use our place," she said. "You could say your vows down by the creek, it's beautiful there."

"Yeah," I said, hoping I wasn't blushing with my own memory of the creek. "It is."

The room was full of life and laughter and plans for moving forward. Plans for a new, post-Volturi world, but I still felt a vague heaviness. Like something was resting on my shoulders and I fidgetted in my seat, as if that might ease it.

"So, One-Shot-Swan, or maybe I should call you Bella the Vampire Slayer, how did you come up with the whole paint thinners idea?" Emmett's eyes were wide and full of admiration. "I mean, seriously, that was a killer move. _Literally._ How the hell did you think of it?"

My chest suddenly felt tight. That heaviness felt like it was crushing me.

 _A killer move_.

I was a killer now.

"Um..." I swallowed, not wanting to remember but the images came anyway.

"I...I don't think I _did_ think about it."

I looked across at Edward who was studying the take-away pizza menu like they were lecture notes and finals were tomorrow.

Edward, with his emerald eyes and a heart that beat with love and hope for a future and a family of his own.

My eyes stung and I dropped my gaze, blinking down at my hands.

"I just knew I had to stop it. Stop _them_." I shrugged. "It all happened so fast."

Emmett chuckled softly.

"Almost wish I'd been there to see it. _Whoosh!_ "

I winced. Rosalie whacked him on the arm.

"Is the relief making you crazy?" she snapped. "I don't think Bella _wanted_ to be there, you'd _want_ yourself in that sort of danger?"

"Hey," he leant over and kissed her on the top of her head. "I said _almost_." He kissed her again and she nestled into his side. He whispered something in her ear before calling to Edward, who had abandoned the pizza menu and was now thoroughly investigating the inside of his fridge.

"So Edward, what about you, eh? Still got some skills...some fancy footwork..."

"Like Bella said, it happened so fast." He emerged from the fridge, frowning and distracted. "There was no time to think. But right now I'm hungry and I don't think pizza's going to cut it."

"I could go for a steak," Emmett said. "You got some?"

"Always." Edward answered as Carlisle stepped forward.

"Allow me?" he said. "I haven't had a chance to practice my barbecue skills since you moved here, Edward."

"And I could do my potato salad." Esme beamed. "Do we have potatoes?"

"Ooh, barbecue! I'll set the table on the deck." Alice was bouncing on her toes, looking around. "Actually, why don't you have a proper indoor dining table, Edward?"

"I'd never use it," he said. "When I have people over we always sit outside, anyway."

Alice's face was thoughtful now.

"You could have a round table over there..."

"The room's fine, Alice."

"Hmm..." She didn't sound convinced. "It'll do for now. Where's the linen tablecloth I gave you? And the fancy placemats? Oh, we need a floral arrangement! There are some flowers in your neighbour's garden..."

"We don't need a floral arrangement."

Edward's voice was firm as he came to join me again. He sat on the armrest of the sofa and draped his arm around my shoulder.

"But what about that Lalique vase I got you?" Alice's voice held a faint accusatory tone now. "It'd be perfect as the centrepiece, even if the table is outside."

Edward sighed and smiled down at me.

"Alice did the whole interior design thing when I got my first apartment," he explained.

"Oh, I see." I nodded, eager for fresh conversation. "That must have been fun."

"I think I spent about a year in Pier 1 and William Sonoma. Against my will, I should add."

"Someone had to take charge," Alice called from the kitchen where she was now rifling through the drawers. "Or you would have kept that old black couch and...hey! The silver ice tongs! Where's the matching ice bucket that goes with them? And why are they floating around in here with potato peelers and oven gloves?"

"We don't need the ice bucket!" The exasperation was clear in Edward's voice. Emmett was snickering. Rosalie and Jasper were hiding smirks. "And where else would I keep the tongs?"

"You should keep them with the bucket! Somewhere safe. Now the monogram's all scratched." She sighed and straightened. "Just lead me to the tablecloths, Edward."

He sighed too.

"Linen closet." He stood and motioned for her to follow him to the hallway.

Emmett made some muttered comment as they walked past and Edward responded with his middle finger. Rosalie and Jasper laughed.

Esme was humming as she prepared the potato salad. Carlisle was busy in the fridge and freezer.

I was enjoying the playful back-and-forth between Edward and his family, but still that heavy feeling nagged, and Emmett's words hung at the back of my mind, nudging, taunting. My smile faded and my stomach began to knot again. I decided I needed some fresh air so I got up and wandered towards the sliding doors that led to the deck.

Jasper watched me as I passed, the empath in him obviously picking up on my feelings. He arched a brow, a silent "Are you okay?"

I nodded and smiled and mouthed "I'll be fine." He nodded too, his eyes telling me he understood.

I just needed to clear my thoughts.

Outside on the deck, I leant against the railing, staring out at the sea as I breathed deeply, focusing on the air going in and out.

"Mind if I join you?"

Carlisle's voice came softly as he walked to the barbecue, a tray of meat and various condiments in his hands.

"I was just getting some air." I smiled and pushed back my hair. My hand was shaking and I hid it behind my back, quickly. Carlisle probably noticed, but if he did he didn't say anything.

"I hope I can remember how to do this," he said with a smile. "I got quite good in the first years after Edward's change.

He set down the tray, lit the gas, and then poured some olive oil on the grill. It sizzled softly.

"We've got steaks, sausages for the kids, and Edward said you like these vegetable patties."

"Yeah," I said, moving to stand beside him, hoping for distraction from my thoughts. "They're good. Thank you."

He placed them on the grill, the small distance between them so evenly spaced it was like he'd measured.

"Edward and I would often cook together," he said as he lined up the sausages above the patties. "And we'd talk. Even after he moved out, whenever he came to visit we'd have a barbeque for him." A faintly wistful smile curved his lips.

"You must miss him," I said, hugging myself again. "And Emmett and Rose, all living so far away."

"Esme and I both do. You could say it's been something of a wrench, especially in the beginning, when they first left to come here, but I wouldn't change a thing."

"No?"

"No." He smiled softly. "It's a complex thing. Edward's older than me now, at least, in terms of human years, his 31 to my 23, but I still think of him as my son, I always will. Even when it's time for me to play the role of his grandson, and hopefully great-grandson." He smiled again. "And like all fathers, I only want the best for him, and for Rosalie and Emmett, too. That's why, as much as I miss them all, I wouldn't change a thing. To see them live the lives they want, with people they love, is everything."

He set the steaks on the grill, seasoning them lightly from the spice bottle.

"That's just one of many reasons I'm so grateful for your actions yesterday, Bella. It's true what Emmett said earlier, that his children will get to grow up because of you." He cocked his head slightly, in that vampire way. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

It was like his golden eyes could see right through me. See the unwelcome thoughts that had begun to taunt me. I swallowed, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten.

"I understand," I said. "But...I killed people." If Marc hadn't got away, he would have died too. And I would have been responsible.

My voice broke and I looked down at my feet, shaken by how the words sounded now they'd been said out loud.

I felt Carlisle's cool hand on my arm.

"I don't regret anything," I said quickly. "I'd do the same again if I had to. In a heartbeat. But it frightens me a little, what I did." I lifted my eyes and stared into his, so deep with understanding and kindness. "I feel like I've crossed a line, Carlisle."

He rubbed my arm, the gentle action soothing.

"It's no small thing, what you did. It will leave its mark, and you wouldn't be the person I think you are, if you weren't affected. But you didn't cross a line, Bella. _Marc_ did. And _Aro_. Not you." He gave my arm an affectionate squeeze. "You reacted to the situation _they_ put you in. You defended yourself, and your loved ones. And you stopped a great evil. Remember that. Let _that_ be the mark you're left with."

Through the glass of the sliding doors I could see Hannah and Max, returned to the living room and bouncing around, laughing and dragging bean bags towards the hall. One bean bag had cupcakes on it. The other was decorated with what looked like a giant lizard. Rosalie watched them fondly as she rubbed her belly.

The knot that had been twisting and burning inside me, began to ease.

Yeah, I'd definitely do it all again.

I sighed and pushed back my hair.

"It was so fast," I said. "I didn't think it would be."

Carlisle frowned softly as he added the sausages to the grill. Two of them rolled to the edge and he had to push them back into place twice before they stayed. Then he handed me the spare tongs and motioned for me to turn the vegetable patties. The gesture surprised me, but I quickly welcomed such an ordinary, everyday action.

"Were you expecting it to drag out?" he asked as he drizzled some extra oil over the patties and I bit my lip, remembering those dark moments in my living room.

"It's not that I wanted it to drag out," I murmured. "But while I was focused on Edward, I was also wondering how they were going to get us to the plane, would Alice see, would she come. Would there be a chance to escape when we got outside? And if there wasn't, and somehow we got to Volterra alive, what would happen then?"

My thoughts had been racing so fast I'd hardly known what they were at the time.

"And then suddenly Aro lost interest, just like that! And the next thing...it was over." I poked at a sausage. "I guess it all felt too easy, the resolution. Too quick. Which sounds stupid, and I don't know why I feel that way because I should be glad it was quick, and I am, but..." I shrugged. "Maybe I've watched too many movies. I was expecting the car chase and the action sequence."

"And the helicopter rescue over the Italian Alps?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Carlisle smiled and nodded slowly.

"You were prepared for battle," he said. "Mentally and physically. Your adrenalin would have been pumping, your muscles braced for action, but the battle didn't come. At least, not the way you thought it might. And now, because the ending played out differently than you expected, too easily as you say, you're probably wondering if it's really over. You're worried that maybe the battle will come again."

"Yes," I whispered. "I'm worried it's not really over." I swallowed, feeling the gnaw of anxiety. "They're really gone, aren't they?"

"They are, yes. You and Edward made sure of it."

"And something else won't take their place? Something worse?"

"No. Jasper and I will make sure of _that_."

I exhaled and nodded.

"Thanks," I said. "I probably sound crazy."

"Not at all. You sound...human."

His smile was so warm, I couldn't help but smile back. He always seemed to know the right thing to say and my mind drifted to another night, long ago, when he and I had talked about souls while he'd stitched up my arm in his study.

I'd been so different then. That night seemed a lifetime away and the physical scar from my disastrous birthday was barely noticeable, a testimony to Carlisle's skill. He'd done a good job.

He was doing another good job now, and that weight I felt began to ease a little. The location for this conversation couldn't be more different though. Here we were, barbecuing on a deck by the ocean, instead of in his wood-panelled study with the pictures on the...

"Oh! They used to be your friends, didn't they? You lived with them. You had that painting of them in your study!"

The realisation that I'd killed his friends crashed over me in a wave of awkwardness. What should I say? Should I say anything at all?

"I don't know if I ever called them friends," Carlisle said. "I once admired their civility. They were cultured and refined back in a time when the only other vampires I'd encountered were sewer-dwellers. But I could never accept or condone their lifestyle, or their attitude to humans. And after what's happened now..." He shook his head, his face hardening and his next words came with a chilling edge I'd never heard from him before. "They became a threat to _my wife_. To my _family_. They were no friends of mine."

He frowned down at the grill as he seasoned the steaks again.

"I know Edward and Emmett like a lot of flavour," he said quietly. "But I'm not always sure how much is too much."

"Um, what you've got there looks good," I said.

"They can always add salt at the table."

"They probably will."

"They'll need to keep watch on their blood pressure as they get older. Especially Edward. His has a tendency to run high."

"I'll take good care of him," I promised.

"I know you will."

We were silent for a moment, staring into the flickering flames. Carlisle shifted the patties around. I turned the sausages.

"Smells good," I said.

Carlisle smiled, the taut lines gone now from his face.

"I wish I could agree. Although, sometimes I wish I _could_ enjoy a steak." He flipped them over. "They like them rare," he said while I rolled the sausages around a bit. "Bella?"

"Yes?"

"What you said before, about it all happening too quickly...

"Mm?"

"If Aro hadn't learned about your bond with Edward, events would very likely have played out as you thought they might."

"You mean we would have gone to Volterra?"

"Yes. And we would have pursued you and attempted rescue." He smiled. "The whole car chase and action sequence with helicopters, if we had to. But Aro acted true to form once he realised how powerful you and Edward would be as vampires."

"Oh..."

"With your gifts and your bond, you stopped being valuable to him, and instead became a threat. His decision to remove that threat would have been swiftly made. Instant. There would be no trip for you to Volterra. No chances for escape or rescue. That's why he lost interest, as you say. That's why he changed his plans so quickly." He cleared his throat. "It would not have been a difficult decision for him to make."

I shuddered as I remembered Aro's command to kill Edward.

One of the sausages had split its skin, and I poked at it with the tongs. Beneath the grill, the low blue flames flickered and waved.

"Why didn't he run? Aro, I mean." I'd wondered this a few times. "He just froze when his clothes caught fire." I shuddered again and felt Carlisle's hand on my shoulder.

"Running would have fanned the flames," he said quietly. "And for vampires, fire really is our weakness. Our skin might be hard to the touch, but it still originates from organic matter. And then there's the venom."

"Venom? On your skin?"

He held up his hand, flexing his fingers. "At a cellular level. Very roughly, it compares to the natural oils in human skin. It's what gives us our flexibility, allows us to move so easily in our stone skin. Without it we really would be, well, statues. But the venom's composition makes it highly flammable."

"And produce purple smoke?"

"Yes."

The scientist in me was momentarily intrigued, I tried to think of the chemical properties and reactions that might be involved, but again my mind drifted back to the flat. I closed my eyes, as if that could shut the memories out, but they kept coming.

"There was so much confusion," I said. "There was the sound of the tin exploding, and then the whoosh of the flames...and then..."

What did happen then?  
It had seemed such a blur of movement and chaos, and yet Aro had been so still while all around him...

"Oh!"

My eyes flew open. Carlisle was watching me curiously.

"Bella?"

"No-one was trying to save Aro, were they?"

Carlisle shook his head. "No."

"They were _all_ trying to escape and...that's how Edward burnt his hand!"

"You didn't know?"

"I lost sight of him, or I thought I did...oh!" I sat down with a bump on one of the chairs. Now, without the cloud of fear and panic, I remembered new details.

"I saw him twist away from Heidi, and she killed Jane, but then he was gone...for a second." Just as the fire suddenly got worse. Just as the whole flat seemed consumed by flames. "But he...I think he..."

"I torched them."

Edward's voice, hard and cold, pulled me back to now. He was standing in the doorway, hands sunk in his pockets, watching me carefully.

"You didn't know?"

"No." I shook my head. "I just realised now..."

Carlisle smiled and turned off the gas before lowering the lid of the barbecue.

"That'll keep them warm for a while," he said. "I believe meat needs to rest before consumption, anyway." Then he quietly disappeared.

Edward came forward, crouching down in front of me.

"Bella..."

"I thought you'd been swallowed up by the smoke and the flames. You were waving your arms around, and there was so much fire, and I was so scared..."

He gently tucked some hair behind my ear.

"You set fire to the tin," he said. "The flames spread quickly, catching Aro and Felix and Alec, but the rest weren't going to stick around to save them. They were going to get away. I couldn't let that happen."

I took his injured hand, turning it over, caressing his palm and the simple surgical dressing.

"How did you do it?"

"Your bag. It was on the floor, in reach of my foot. Heidi was still holding onto me when I kicked it and flicked it into the flames."

Ah...Emmett's comment on Edward's fancy footwork.

"And then you picked it up?"

"A second later, when Heidi was distracted with Jane and I got out of her grasp. I used it as a torch, waving it round like a villager in an old horror movie, trying to kill the monsters. I was just missing the pitchfork." He cracked a hesitant smile and tenderly touched my cheek with his free hand. "I'll replace it. Your bag, I mean."

I shook my head, laughing a shaky laugh.

"I don't care about the bag." I frowned. His fingers traced my jaw, his thumb caressed my cheek. His touch was so gentle, so warm and soothing.

So much love in such a simple caress.

"So we actually did it together?"

"You could look at it that way, yes."

"Then why is everyone talking about what _I_ did, when it wasn't just me?"  
"Because what you did was so remarkable. And if you hadn't done what you did, if you hadn't fired that gun, there's no way I could have done what _I_ did. And right now we'd both be..."

He swallowed hard, then tilted his head in an almost, but not quite, vampire way. "I thought you saw."

"I did, I just didn't understand what I was seeing." I cupped his cheek and he turned his face to kiss my palm.

"Firing that gun was what saved all of us, Bella. You took out the Volturi leader, and more. _You_ saved us."

"Me."

"Yes."

He pulled me close and I rested my head on his shoulder. Normally, I felt so safe and secure in his arms but now, as he rubbed his hand over my back, I felt hollow inside, and the unwelcome thoughts were still circling in my head.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I will be. I just think...I think things are catching up with me. But everyone's okay, that's the main thing. That's why I did it. And everyone's okay. Carlisle's right, it was them that crossed the line, not me, I just reacted to it."

"Bella, love...?" He pulled back, his face concerned. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth to say I was fine, but different words came tumbling.

"Emmett said I had killer moves. It made me feel...it scares me." I stopped and shook my head, not really wanting to continue.

Edward's concern shifted into a frown. Still crouched before me, he rested his hands on my thighs now, massaging gently.

"Don't listen to Emmett. Nobody else does. But why does what he said scare you?"

"Because of Marc."  
Edward made a sound of disgust, deep in his throat. "Don't waste any sympathy on that bastard..." "I know, I know, you're right," I said, staring down at Edward's long fingers as they stroked gently over the denim of my jeans. "What he did was wrong, and talking to Carlisle has helped, I do feel better, but...but it still scares me."

Edward's hands stilled."I don't understand."

I sighed, trying to gather my thoughts.

"I think...Marc was more deluded than evil, Edward. He was deluded and brainwashed and honestly thought he was playing with the good guys. In some ways he was a victim too, and he could have died because of me." I paused to take a shaky breath. "And the fact that I would do exactly the same thing again, fire that gun and start the fire, knowing I'd be risking his life...it makes me wonder who I am. It makes me wonder if I'm...bad."

Edward was very silent, his hands perfectly still. After a moment I lifted my gaze.

There were tears in his eyes. Tears and an ancient pain so raw it hurt me to see it. His throat worked, but he stayed silent.

"Edward..."

"You think you're bad?" he whispered. "A killer?"

I shrugged.

"Bella, no." There was real agony in his voice and it sliced through my heart. "You are one of the most... _how could you even think_...oh dear God..." He looked away, blinking hard for a moment before he turned back.

"Tell me," he said roughly. "What do you see when you look at me?"

I frowned, not understanding.

"I see you."

He shook his head, his gaze hard now, almost angry. The edge in his voice raised goosebumps on my skin.

"I don't mean that. I mean, _what_ do you see?" He took my chin in his hand, not letting me move, keeping our gaze level. " _Who am I_ , Bella?"

His eyes darkened somehow, I felt the faint thrill of danger, and suddenly I understood.

"Oh...Oh!" I reached out to touch his cheek.

"You're Edward," I said. "You're kind and clever. You're gentle and you make me laugh. You're an engineer who's climbed Mt Everest. And you love me." I took a slow breath. "And in a past life you saved the lives of thousands of women and children."

With every word, every truth, understanding flowed through me, bringing a warmth that filled those confused, anxious hollows and melted that knot in my stomach. I felt something shift inside me, the blanket of yesterday's horror was lifting, and perspective was returning.

"Am I bad?" Edward asked, voice raw.

"No."

"No. I'm not."

To hear him confirm that with such certainty, surprised me, and the hardness in his eyes had faded away, replaced by an emotion I couldn't name.

Then he was standing and pulling me to my feet.

"So Bella," he whispered, turning us so our images reflected in the kitchen window. "Who do you see when _you_ look in the mirror? _Who_ are you?"

His arms came round me, hugging me to him, my back against his chest.

"Um...I see someone who can tell the difference between bacteria and protozoa."

"Very impressive. Go on."

"I can reverse park on the first go."

"Also very impressive."

"I see someone who loves and trusts _you_ very much."

"Miraculous and unbelievable, but I'll take it." He kissed the back of my neck. "What else?"

"I...can bake a really good cheesecake."

He leant round me so he could could give me an accusing glare.

"And you never told me that?"  
"Not yet," I smiled. "I can't reveal everything all at once. There has to be some mystery."

"Not where cheesecake is concerned. But we'll come back to that. What else do you see?"  
"Someone who likes to laugh and loves music. Someone who cries at sad movies and reads anything she can get her hands on." I cleared my throat. "And, um...I see someone who wants to protect her family from people who'd hurt them."

"I see that too," Edward said. "I also see someone who risked her life in a ballet studio when she was seventeen, to save her mother and keep me from danger."

"Oh..."

Edward turned me round so I was facing him again. His eyes burned into mine, his hands gripped my arms.

"You didn't go into that flat intending to set it on fire, did you?"  
"No."  
"You don't go out each morning planning to do damage or cause hurt?"

"No."

"You were in extreme, extenuating circumstances in that flat."

"Seriously extreme."

"Did you tell Marc to get out? Tell him to leave while he could?"

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"And if you had to do it all again, would you still tell him to get out and save himself?"

"Yes. I would."

"Bella, you were trying to prevent a great evil. It was never your intention to put Marc in danger, he did that himself." Edward sighed. "So, do you get what I'm trying to say?"

"Yeah. I think I do." Some tears pricked at my eyes. "I...I'm still me."

"Yes," Edward said. "You are." He smiled. "The only difference now is that you come with the added bonus of cheesecake."

I heard myself laugh, the sound as unexpected as Edward's teasing. He was smiling too, but then his expression shifted into something more serious, and the past was there again in his eyes.

"You're not bad, and you're not a killer, Bella," he said gently. "I can promise you that. And I won't let you tear yourself up with misguided guilt, I _won't_ let you go down that dark path."

His voice broke and I felt my eyes brim with tears. He'd walked that dark path for years, I knew that, but not anymore it seemed, judging from his words a few minutes ago.

I sank against him, breathing him in, listening to the steady thrum of his heart.

We stayed that way for a while, just the two of us in the silence beneath the stars. Then Edward exhaled sharply.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I think I am. You?"

"All good." He sighed. "All good."

In the background I could hear excited squeals. I turned my head and saw Jasper, apparently performing a magic trick for Hannah and Max, making objects appear from behind their ears.

This was exactly what we needed.

"That's really sweet," I said, smiling. "And surprising."

"Jasper has his moments," Edward said.

He swung me up into his arms then, and sat in the chair, with me on his lap.

He rested his head against my chest.

I sighed and smiled at the moon, listening to more muffled laughter from Max and Hannah while those three little words that Edward had uttered, were ringing in my memory like a shiny silver bell, bringing a new joy now that I thought about them.

"So you don't think you're bad, anymore?"

"I've done bad things," he said slowly. "You know that. But I don't think I'm bad. At least, not as much as I used to."

"Well, it's about time. What changed?"

There was the faint tensing of his body.

"Oh, you don't have to answer, I didn't mean..."

"No, it's fine," he said. "I don't mind." He gave me an apologetic, smile and then nestled against me once more.

"I've told you about my rebellious period," he said. "Well, once I became human, I began having nightmares. I thought sleep was fantastic, but there was a period when the dreams were so bad I was scared to shut my eyes." He shuddered softly. "I figured it was fair punishment for what I'd done. And without those vampire instincts at play, yeah, it felt different. I had guilt before, but as a human it was so much worse, even though I knew that as a vampire my actions had come from a completely different, and vaguely justifiable, place."

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

He shook his head. "Don't be. I've dealt with it and I haven't had the nightmares for a long while now. I do still think about that period though but, I see things a bit differently these days."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." The breeze tousled his hair and he blew it back out of his eyes with a sharp breath but it fell back immediately. I pushed it out of the way for him.

"Can you tell me about it?" I asked as I played with his hair.

He didn't answer straight away and I was about to say it didn't matter, when he tightened his arms around me, and started talking.

"I was in college," he said quietly, with a sigh, almost as if he were talking to himself. "There was a guest speaker coming to give an invited lecture at the medical faculty. There were posters all over the place."

I scratched my nails over the back of his neck and he nestled closer.

"Who was it?" I asked.

"Dr Amelia Duckworth. She was doing ground-breaking work in genetics that could make dozens of diseases a thing of the past. Save billions of lives." He paused. "Sometimes, in the past, my vigilante activities would make it into the newspapers. The doctor's name rang a bell."

My hand stilled and my skin tingled as I realised where this was going.

"I did some research," he said. "And found out her grandmother was also called Amelia Duckworth, and I'd saved her from a predetor in 1931."

"Oh..."

He became very quiet and I wondered if he was remembering her, and what he'd seen in the thoughts of that predetor.

"Anyway," he began again. "I found an interview the doctor had given about her medical career where she'd talked about her grandmother being a nurse in World War II. There weren't always enough doctors to go around and she'd saved dozens of lives doing procedures a nurse wasn't supposed to do. She was the inspiration for her granddaughter going into medicine."

I realised then I was holding my breath, and let it go in a whoosh.

"Wow, Edward..."  
"I know," he said, exhaling too.

"What did you do?"

"I went to the lecture, and I sat at the back of the room. She took the podium and I was shaking so much the chair was vibrating on the floor. But she was remarkable. And doing so much good in the world. Afterwards, there was a small crowd all wanting to talk to her and ask questions. I joined them and I waited my turn and I... _I shook her hand_."

The emotion in his voice made me want to cry, and I bit hard into my lip.

"She smiled and thanked me for coming. I said it was my very great pleasure. After that, I went home and thought, maybe I could start forgiving myself. Maybe...I wasn't _bad._ The nightmares stopped soon after."

I didn't know what to say, and sometimes words really aren't necessary, so I just hugged him with everything I had.

"I love you so much," he whispered, squeezing his arms around me.

"Love you too."

He sighed, lifted his head and smiled.

"I haven't told anyone about that," he said. "You always make it so easy for me to talk."

"Well, I did ask."

He kissed my cheek.

"Our conversations meander a lot, don't they?"

"As long as we meander together," I said.

"Always."

He leant in for another kiss and just as his lips touched mine, his stomach rumbled. We laughed and then...

"Oh my gosh, Edward the steaks! They'll be cold!" It felt like we'd been out here on our own for hours, and Edward seemed to read my thoughts.

"It's been less than fifteen minutes since Carlisle closed the lid. Perfect resting time. They'll be fine."

Almost on cue, the sliding doors opened and Alice appeared with Hannah in tow. The little girl was carrying an armful of linen while Alice effortlessly balanced a pile of plates and glasses.

"There's a right way and a wrong way to set a table," Alice was explaining while Hannah nodded very seriously.

"Aunty Alice is teaching me to ettycut," she announced.

"Table etiquette," Alice corrected. Then she smiled. "But ettycut works, too. Max?"

Max appeared, sombre-faced and walking slowly, bearing a jug full of flowers.

"You've raided next door's garden," Edward said. "But no Lalique crystal?"

"Rosalie advised against it," Alice whispered softly. "So we've gone with a plastic jug I found in the pantry. And these more basic plates instead of the vintage Villeroy & Boch. You must have bought these all yourself."

"I did," Edward smirked. "From Ikea."

Alice barely hid an eyeroll as she turned back to the table.

We watched on as Hannah began spreading the cloth over the table. Edward helped her smooth it into position and get it even. Max stepped forward and I lent a hand, guiding the jug into the centre of the table.

"Good job!" Alice beamed at the children when they were done. They smiled back at her, faces full of pride. "Now, the place settings. Symmetry is everything..."

I was smiling too. "Nice and normal," I whispered. "Well, if you call a vampire teaching table etiquette to humans, normal."

Edward chuckled. "Lets just say it's normal for us."

Now Hannah was asking Alice why there weren't enough plates for everyone.

"There's ten people" she said, holding up both hands. "But six plates."

Alice shot us a quick look.

"That's because some of us already ate. Earlier. Before you arrived."

Hannah looked very disapproving.

"Did you fill up and spoil your dinner?"

"Yes, that's right," Alice said brightly. "We spoilt our dinner."

Max shook his head, his face as serious as his sister's. "You won't get dessert."

"Then you'll have to have mine. And Jasper's."

This solution was met with grins and giggles from the children and Edward was chuckling beside me.

"Nice save, Alice," he murmured softly.

He curled his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side as two small children learned that forks go on the left and knives on the right, which is all well and good if you already know your left from right.

Tomorrow the sun would rise again, the world would go on without the Volturi, and maybe we'd take Max and Hannah down to the beach for a swim. We could look for shells and play on the sand.

I felt Edward's lips in my hair and I snuggled closer to him. Then Esme appeared with the salads.

"Dinner's ready!" she grinned.

-0-

Hannah and Max were fascinated by Jasper, and he kept up the magic tricks during dinner.

With no words, and a combination of vampire speed and traditional slight-of-hand, he made the salt shaker disappear, followed by the napkin holder. They both re-appeared in Alice's ear, which brought squeals of delight, until Rosalie suggested everyone focus on their meals.

The potato salad was delicious. Carlisle's barbequing was perfect and the table setting looked amazing. The conversation was relaxed, meandering from the latest movies to Esme's new car and what Rose and Emmett should call their baby.

Max said he wanted a brother called Burt. "'Cause it sounds like burp," he giggled and everyone laughed.

Edward and Emmett argued over football.

"AFL? It's just aerial ping pong," Emmett declared.

"You're missing the subtlety," Edward said. "I'll take you to a game sometime. You'll see the skill involved."

Emmett snorted, as if that was the most unlikely thing in the world.

"Maybe," he said.

Sleeping arrangements were sorted after dinner and Rosalie was taking the spare room while Emmett would sleep with the kids in the kombi van in the garage. This suggestion brought a new round of excited squeals and Rosalie was smiling contentedly as she kissed her children goodnight and watched them go with their father and Uncle Nedwood for story time in the kombi.

"A bed all to myself," she murmured. "Bliss."

Esme watched fondly as they all disappeared.

"They're such a blessing," she said. "Children always are."

Carlisle was on the laptop with Jasper and Alice, but he glanced up and smiled at his wife. There was such intimacy in that look, I felt like I was intruding, but it made me wonder something and the question was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Do you think you'll ever change back to human, too?"

It was too personal, and I was about to apologise for asking, but Esme didn't seem to mind.

"I thought about it, in the beginning, soon after Edward changed. I still do, occasionally but..." She shrugged. "Carlisle and I can do so much more with our vampire senses to help people, and perhaps this sounds arrogant but, this way, we can always keep watch on our human family, long into the future, after Edward and Emmett and Rosalie are gone." Her brow furrowed slightly at that, the thought of such a future obviously hurt, but then a gentle smile graced her lips. "Even from a distance, we can make sure their children and grand children and great-great-great grandchildren are safe and well. We can look out for them. Even if they don't always know about us."

It was such a beautiful thought.

"Like a pair of guardian angels," I said.

My words surprised her, it seemed. She blinked.

"Perhaps," she said and glanced down at her hands in her lap. She cleared his throat. "I wouldn't say we're angels,but that's a lovely way to put it, Bella. Thank you."

Then the children who were such a blessing were back, crashing through the door, needing the bathroom again and drinks of water.

A tired looking Edward followed them and sank onto the sofa.

"Where's Emmett," I asked.

"Asleep already."

Esme chuckled. "He's quite hopeless sometimes," she said affectionately then stood to round up the children. "Come on," she said. "No big drinks at bedtime, just tiny sips."

She organised the water then followed them to the bathroom to reduce dawdling. It sounded like one went for the ensuite while the other took the main bathroom.

"Don't they get jetlag?" I asked.

"Apparently not." Edward yawned. "But I think I've got the jetlag they should have."

He sagged against me. There was the sound of a toilet flushing, and then Max appeared.

"Uncle Nedwood, what's this?" He held out a bright green Scooby Doo sock. "There's somefing inside."

Edward's eyes widened, he swore under his breath, and leapt off the sofa just as Max reached in.

"No! Max, no!"

Max giggled and ran up the hall but Edward caught him, swinging him up in his arms, blowing a raspberry on his chubby cheek while smoothly taking the sock from his hand.

"Bed," he said firmly setting him down on his feet.

"I'll take him." Esme came back in, holding Hannah's hand. "Come on, Max. Why don't I read to you and Hannah tonight? Uncle Nedwood's tired." She beamed at the little boy and he beamed right back and reached up to take her hand.

"You not tired, Aunty Emay?"

"No, I don't get tired very often." They headed towards the door. "Which story shall we read?"

"Magic Beach!" Hannah exclaimed.

"No! The Bravest Bear!" Max cried.

"Well, we could read one now," Esme said. "And the other one in the morning. How does that sound? That way, you'll go to sleep with something to look forward to!"

This was accepted as a good plan and there was much nodding of agreement.

"Uncle Carl?" Max looked across the room. "You come too?"

"Well, I'd love to." Carlisle's smile was brighter than the sun and he quickly joined the little trio as they headed out to the garage.

"So Edward, what's in the sock?" Jasper asked, smirking, once the door had closed behind them.

"Nothing," Edward answered quickly, shoving Scooby Doo into his pocket.

I looked at him curiously.

"Nothing?" I arched a brow and was surprised when colour flooded his cheeks.

"Nothing," he said and got up to leave the room.

"Probably more nipple clamps." Alice nodded, her voice full of authority.

"More what?" I looked from her to Edward. Oh my gosh, was this left over from one of his exes?

 _Nipple clamps_?

Or was this something he wanted to try with me? I could feel my own cheeks colouring.

Edward's eyes flashed, he was clearly angry with his sister, then he turned to me.

"It's not how it sounds," he said.

"It's fine."

"Bella..." He sat down beside me again, glaring at Alice. "I had a roommate for a short time while I was in college. Eric. He asked me to hid his, er, toys in my room when his mom came to visit. Unfortunately it was the same weekend Esme and Alice decided to come and see me."

"Oh!" I bit back a giggle and Japser smirked. Obviously he'd heard this story before.

"I hadn't bothered to hide the things because I wasn't expecting anyone in my room but, yeah..." He shrugged.

Jasper wasn't even bothering to hide his laughter now.

"They were on top of his dresser." Alice grinned. "All neat and tidy in a plastic bag, with a label that said 'nipple clamps', just in case there was any doubt."

I thought Jasper was going to fall off his chair at this point, he was laughing so much.

"Poor Esme walked in and walked straight out again," Alice continued. " Edward tried to explain but she said he was an adult and what he did under his own roof was his business...but she would always love him and she hoped he was being _careful._ "

"You did tell her though?" I asked, biting my lip to stop the giggles because Edward was still glaring.

"Yes. It was one of the more embarrassing moments of my life. And hers, I think."

"I told him he should have hidden them," Alice said. "A sock would be a good hiding place."

Jasper's laughs gradually slowed, and he stood up, grinning. He didn't speak, but held out his hand to Alice. They exchanged a look and she smiled.

"We'll be back later," she said. "We might run down to the National Park again."

"Take my car if you want," Edward said. Jasper grabbed the keys from the island, and then they were gone, in that sudden vampire way that made a person wonder if they'd ever been there.

Edward sighed.

"So it's not nipple clamps in the sock, I promise you."

I nuzzled against him. "So what is it?"  
He hesitated. "It's not for now. It's for later. Christmas."

"Oh!" I sat up. "You've been Christmas shopping already?"

"It is November, Bella. But if you want to see, I'll show you what I got you..."

"No. No, I'll wait." A ripple of excitement ran through me and then mild panic because I hadn't even thought about Christmas and I had no idea what to get Edward. My mind raced through a few ideas and I thought I should write them down, make a list. I'd seen a surfboard out the front the first day I ever came here. It had looked well-used and I wondered if he'd like a new one. Or a paddle board? A rare bottle of whisky?

My mind was racing and suddenly I was more exhausted than I'd ever been.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Is this, like, the weirdest day ever?" I thought back over this morning, our skinny-dipping and love-making, Edward's second proposal, Marion's story and my meltdown. Edward's revelation about Dr Duckworth. Nipple clamps and Christmas presents.

"Yeah," he said. "I think it might be."

"It's been a big one."

"It has."

"Too much going on. It's just...all too much."

"Way too much."

"I want to sleep now, I think."

Without a word, Edward stood and lifted me into his arms, carrying me up the hall.

He undressed me slowly, gently, kissing every part of my body that he exposed, until I was naked and between the sheets. He shed his own clothes and climbed in behind me, twining his legs with mine as he curled his body around me.

"It's like I've lived a lifetime in one day," I murmured through a yawn.

"I think, in some ways, we have."

Edward kissed the back of my neck, his hands coming to rest in their favourite position, cupping my breasts. He nuzzled my neck.

"What if I have a nightmare?" I asked.

"I'll hold you close and sing you back to sleep."

I nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

He chuckled and kissed the back of my shoulder, and then, as if to support his promise, he began to sing. Softly. Sweetly.

 _Brown Eyed Girl._

o0o

 **A/N: Yep, this chapter was all sorts of ups and downs but I figure, after everything they'd been through, there had to be melt-downs and moments. And we know how family life is made up of all sorts of bits and pieces, meandering conversations, shifting moods, and this chapter was a reflection of that :) It wouldn't have felt authentic to me without the chop-and-change of mood and conversation.**

 **Thank you for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter and for all the amazing support you've given me and this story, and for sticking with me even when things got a little, er, controversial. I also want to say a very sincere thank you for your patience with the wait between chapters. It's never my plan to have such long gaps, but sometimes it just happens that way. I wish I could hug you all! xx**

 **The next chapter will most likely be the last. A few loose ends will be tied up and we'll get a glimpse into the future :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Sincere apologies for the long wait on this chapter.**

 **Quick recap:**

 **The Cullens and McCarty's are all at Edward's beachside house.**

 **The crisis with the Volturi is over.**

 **Heidi and Marc got away and when Edward hacked the airport manifest, discovered they were headed to Alaska.**

 **At the end of the last chapter, Max nearly spoiled Bella's Christmas surprise from Edward and Jasper told an embarrassing story about Edward and some nipple clamps.**

 **-0-**

Morning sun fell over the bed, casting a delicate pattern of light across the sheets, and a rainbow on the wall.

I yawned and stretched and smiled at the rainbow. It was a good sign, I thought. If yesterday I'd woken with relief, today it was with optimism.

I wondered for a moment what day it was, the last few had sort of blurred together. Should I be getting up for work? Was I already late?

"Saturday," I murmured, relaxing into the mattress, wondering how it only been two days since the Volturi had gone up in smoke.

It felt so long ago, now that I was laying here, safe and snug in bed.

I turned my smile on the man who lay sprawled next to me, snoring.

Edward was on his stomach, arms folded beneath his head, hair sleep-tousled and falling over his face.

It was a beautiful face, even when it was smushed against a pillow.

I touched his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin through the rough stubble that shadowed his jaw.

He didn't react.

From the hallway came the sound of giggles and Emmett begging for quiet.

"Ssh, keep it down, you'll wake Mum, and Uncle Ned..."

"Uncle Nedwood can come to the beach, too!"

"Maybe later, when he's not sleeping. C'mon. Ssh..."

I heard the soft rumble of the sliding door opening, and then the slap of flip flops on the stairs. Excited squeals, and Emmett's booming "Woo hoo! Race you to the wet stuff!" told me when they all hit the sand.

As their voices grew fainter, I turned my attention back to Edward.

He was still snoring.

"You really do sleep like the dead," I whispered and for some reason, seeing him so peaceful, so unguarded, made my heart swell.

The sheet was rumpled round his hips. Propped up on my elbow, I studied him – a sort of visual appreciation.

I started with the hair that curled against his neck, and the faint dusting of salt and pepper freckles on his shoulders.

I loved those tiny freckles. They were like little tributes to the sun. To his new life. I traced my finger over them, back and forth, wondering how long they'd been there. Was it since he'd been in Australia? Or had the collection begun somewhere else?

I changed direction, my touch spiralling lightly down his bare back now, slowly appreciating each bump of his spine.

He had a beautiful back. Toned and well-muscled. Like a Greek statue. His skin had been bronzed by the sun, but the colour faded at his hips, where his board shorts would hang low in that way that made my heart skip a beat.

I nudged the sheet away, just a little, so I could trace the curve of his beautiful backside, a couple of shades lighter than his back. Still, he didn't wake.

I followed his tattoo, my finger climbing the miniature Mt Everest and then sliding down the other side. Then I lowered my face and kissed his shoulder. He sniffed, but stayed asleep.  
My gaze wandered to the nightstand, and his reading glasses that sat beside his watch and the glass of water he always brought to bed.  
So human.  
Although, unlike a lot of humans, there was no phone on the nightstand. He kept that in the top drawer each night, on silent. He'd told me once, as he'd undressed me slowly, kissing his way over my neck and shoulder, that his bed was no place for the outside world. Then he'd proceeded to make me forget my own name, never mind the world beyond his sheets.  
"You awake?" I whispered, lighly kissing his ear, wondering if we might forget again.  
I was answered by a soft snore that made me giggle.  
"Real smooth, Edward."  
I reached for the glass of water, thirsty now, and noticed the middle drawer was open slightly. The Scooby Doo sock that held my Christmas present, was just visible.

I pulled the drawer open a little, and poked Scooby hesitantly on the nose. There was something hard inside. Something hard, with corners.

A little box?

"Well, I know it's not nipple clamps," I muttered, grinning, remembering Jasper's revelation and Edward's embarrassment. "But what?"

Jewellery?

Those mini earphones I'd mentioned?

"Or that keyring."

He'd pointed it out as we'd walked past a jeweller's one afternoon. A crystal swan with a tiny sapphire eye.

I poked the sock again, and squeezed it a little. My curiosity was piqued and I stole a quick look at Edward and his sleep-creased face buried in the pillow.

He wouldn't be surfacing soon.  
I opened the drawer wider and took out the sock, and while I had no intention of opening my gift, I thought it couldn't hurt to peek inside. It was only human to be so curious, especially as this was Edward's very first gift to me.

His first gift.

But not really. He'd given me a CD of his muisc, my lullaby, back in Forks. Dear God, he'd been so wary as he'd handed it to me, such uncertainty in his eyes, and I tried not to remember how stupid I'd been back then. How I'd been so insistent that he not give me presents. How my rejection of his generous nature must have hurt him.

I shook my head, chasing those memories away. Things were different now. Way different. I was excited. And I wanted to know what he'd got me.  
Keeping my back to Edward, I began to reach inside the sock, my fingers disappearing out of sight, and was startled when Edward's hand came from nowhere, his long fingers gently touching my wrist.  
"Wha..." I gasped and dropped the sock back in my lap as I twisted round to face him.

Propped up on his elbow, he smiled a sleepy lop-sided smile before blowing some hair out of his eyes. My cheeks heated as I stammered incoherent explanations.  
"I wasnt...I just...I thought I...um..."

Edward's smile became a smirk.  
"Bella, I think the word you're looking for is _busted_."

"No, I...was thirsty." I waved vaguely at the glass of water.

He cocked a skeptical brow and I sighed. He was right, I was busted.

"Okay, okay, I was curious about my present."

"Curious?" He sat up properly, his eyes very warm. "I like that."

He lifted my hand, kissed it, then flopped back on the pillows, smiling that heart-stopping smile of his. "So, are you going to look?"

"Um..." I glanced at my lap where Scooby Doo stared up at me. "You don't mind?"

"Not as long as you don't mind putting it back after you look."

"I wouldn't get to keep it? Whatever it is?"

"It isn't Christmas, so no, you couldn't keep it. Not yet."

"Hmm...I should probably wait."

Edward nodded. He picked up the sock and leant across me as he placed it carefully back in the drawer. He slid the drawer closed before turning and lying his head in my lap.

"I'll find a new hiding place later," he said, grinning up at me. "Just in case."

I poked out my tongue. He laughed.

"It's probably expensive, isn't it?"

"Yes," he said.

"You're still wealthy, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"And you like that I'm not throwing a fit about you spending money on me."

"I'm loving it."

I chuckled and shook my head.

"So, is there something _you'd_ like for Christmas, Edward?" There was no way I could afford to match whatever was in the sock, but I knew that didn't matter. "You might have your shopping done in November, but I'm not so organised."

"Surprise me," he said. The excitement in his eyes was wonderful to see and it filled my heart so much it almost hurt.

"Surprise you?"

He nodded vigorously.

"Okay, well..." I bit back a giggle. "How about a new tie, then?"

"Now you've spoiled the surprise."

"Then I'll have to think of something else. Maybe a box of chocolates."

"You really don't get the concept of _surprise_ , do you?"

I laughed and glanced back at the drawer.

"Honestly Bella, if you want to look..."

"Do _you_ want me to look?"

He was trying not to smile. "Do you _want_ to look?"

I exhaled. "Maybe a clue?"

"Okay." He shifted from lap, laying back on the pillows, arms folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

He frowned. "Well, it's small," he said.

"Ha ha..."

"And it's portable."

"Very funny."

"And I hope you like it." His voice was soft, his eyes shy and full of love. I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat.

"I'm sure I will." I glanced again at the drawer. "So, not nipple clamps then."

He laughed, then groaned, fresh embarrassment in his voice. "Er, no. Not my thing."

I nodded, smiling again at last night's story.

"So, um, why did your roommate want _you_ to hide them? Couldn't he have hidden them in his own room?"

"His mother was inquisitve."

I blinked. "What, she'd actually go through his drawers and things?"

"Apparently. I ended up hiding a lot of things whenever she came to visit. Political books. Bottles of alcohol. A Monty Python poster."

"Monty Python?"

"The parrot sketch annoyed her."

"Oh." I snorted a laugh. "Did it bother you?"

"What? The hiding, or that he had some exotic tastes?" He wriggled his eyebrows. "Or do you mean the parrot sketch?"

"The exotic tastes." I giggled. "I'm pretty sure you were used to hiding secrets. And I know you enjoy Monthy Python."

"True."

"So? Did it bother you?"

"Not really." He shook his head. "What he and his girlfriend did in his room was their business and I've seen enough that nothing surprises me." He tapped his temple.

"Yeah, I imagine you've seen a lot."

My mind wandered, thinking now about what he might have seen in the thoughts of others over so many years. Fantasies. Desires.

It made me wonder about _his_ fantasies, if he had any, and a delicious curiosity began to burn inside me.

"Um, Edward?"  
"Mm?"

"I was just thinking...oh..." I stopped and looked towards the door.

"What's wrong?"

"Your family..." I suddenly realised they'd probably hear every word.

"Not here," he said. "Carlisle and Esme, Jasper and Alice, they booked a hotel last night. They'll spend the day there and be back tonight." He winked. "They like their privacy too."

"Ah...of course..."

"And Rose is fast asleep. Emmett and the kids are probably still in the kombi."

"No, they went to the beach a while ago. I heard them go."

A slow smile curved on Edward's lips.

"Then we're effectively alone," he said. "What were you going to ask me?"

I cleared my throat. "Okay, um, I know it's none of my business, and of course you don't have to answer..."

"Okay...where is this going, Bella?"

"Hold on, I'm getting there." I took a breath. "You said nipple clamps aren't your thing..."

"No."

I plucked at the sheet. My heart picked up.  
"So, what is your thing? I mean, do you have a...a fantasy?"  
There was a sudden wariness in his eyes, before he quickly dropped his gaze. Shit. What did that mean?  
"You don't have to tell me," I said. "I mean, I know it's a personal question." Even between lovers. And maybe sometimes it's better left unasked.  
"No, it's okay." He smiled softly to himself as he gently took my hand. "You've already fulfilled one of them."  
"Oh?"  
He nodded. "Outisde, in the open. In the sun."  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah."  
My own smile became a grin as I remembered the morning at the lighthouse. That afternoon by the creek. And yesterday in the ocean.  
"You'd never...?"  
"No," he answered. "Only with you."  
I felt suddenly shy, and plucked at the sheet again. But feeling buoyed by his answer, I asked for more.  
"You said one of them. Is there something else?"  
When the silence stretched, I glanced up to see Edward looking out towards the sea.

"There's a car I've been thinking about buying," he said softly. "A 1950 Jaguar Roadster, XK120. I've tracked one down at a specialist dealership in Melbourne."

It wasn't exactly what I'd been expecting.

"A car?" Okay, that's fine. "You fantasise about driving this car?"

"I want to drive it very much, but that's not the fantasy, no."

"Then what..."

The arching of his brow was slight and subtle, and enough to make me catch his meaning.

I bit back a smile. "Back seat?"

Slowly, Edward shook his head. "On the hood."

My jaw dropped.

"Not in public, I assume."

"Not where anyone would see," he clarified. "There's a very quiet stretch of road in the Blue Mountains. Stunning views, and an old, secluded look-out where nobody goes. The stars look amazing over the valley at night."

My body tingled as he spoke. I laid down beside him, twisting my legs in the sheets as I let his words paint a picture in my mind.

I liked what I saw and a slow smile spread across my face.

"You've thought about this."

"Every detail." He cocked his head. "But it's just a fantasy. It doesn't mean I expect...unless..." He swallowed. "What do you think?"

"I think you should buy this car, Edward."

A flicker of suprise lit up his face, and he chuckled softly, a low rumble deep in his chest.

"But..." I said. "What if the fantasy doesn't live up to the reality?"

"Oh the reality will _suprass_ the fantasy," he said. "I know that."

He extended his leg, and nudged the sheet away from me with his foot, exposing my body completely to him. I arched my back in response. Edward bit his lip as his eyes travelled over me.

"When are you going to buy this car?" I whispered.

"Soon."

I rolled onto my stomach.

"How soon?"

"I'll place the order this afternoon."

A giggle escaped me. "Gets cold in the Blue Mountains."

"It's almost summer. And I have a very good blanket."

"Oh?"

"Purple cashmere," he said. "I won't let you be cold."

"I know."

He came closer, straddling my backside so he could brush kisses down my spine. The stubble on his chin tickled and I pressed my backside into him. I heard his breath catch.

"What about you?" he murmured against my skin. "Any fantasies I can help fulfil?"

"Um..." I tried to think, but it wasn't easy with Edward's lips on my skin and his growing hardness pressing against the back of my thigh.

Truthfully, my biggest fantasy was making love with him, and he'd ticked that box over and over again.

"I don't think so," I said. "Not really. Unless..."

"Mm...?"

My mind went back several weeks.

"That night you were waiting for me at my flat...when I came back from the museum..."

He stopped kissing and I looked at him over my shoulder.

"You were mad at me," he said, clearly puzzled.

"I was. Really mad. But the tuxedo was...well, you looked good. Really good. I thought about it later. Much later. When I'd stopped being mad."

He blinked.

"A tuxedo, huh?"  
"Mm."

He smiled, a slow sexy smile.

"I'll see what I can manage," he said. "Now, where was I?" His attention returned to my back. He started at the top this time, moving my hair away from my neck, and kissing his way slowly across my shoulders.

"So," I murmured, smiling as I stared out at the sea, imagining Edward in his tuxedo. "The sun, and the Jaguar. Anything else on your list?"

He paused, a faint hesitation between kisses. I looked over my shoulder again.

"I don't know if it's a fantasy, exactly," he said. "Perhaps it's more of a _craving..._

And now there was something his eyes, and the tilt of his head, that reminded me of long ago and made my skin tingle.

My heart picked up, doubling its pace.

"What?" I whispered. "What do you crave?"

He sighed softly, rolled off me and onto his back. He laid there, blinking up at the ceiling.

"I wonder what you'll think..."

I sat up, crossed legged, and watched him.

"Try me," I said.

He turned his head, his gaze travelling slowly to my neck. I gasped softly, touching my fingers to my throat as understanding dawned.

"It's not like before," Edward said. "I don't...want your blood." He frowned softly, briefly – a faint crease between his brows that was quickly gone. "But to have my mouth on your throat while your body yields to mine...that would be..." He closed his eyes and sighed. "So _incredibly_ _initimate_ to me."

And so incredibly erotic, I thought, as desire pooled deep in my belly.

Edward opened his eyes. "Is it strange?" he whispered. "I don't want to scare you."

"No," I whispered back, realising how much I wanted this too. "I don't think it's strange. And I'm not scared. Just the opposite." I smiled, letting him see the truth in my eyes. "You don't have to hold back with me."

He smiled too.

"Why haven't you told me?" I asked. "Because of your past?

He nodded slowly and reached for my hand, gently sliding his fingers back and forth between mine.

"And because it shocked me," he said. "The first time I felt it. When we were in Queensland, by the creek."

My eyes fluttered as I remembered that afternoon. The growl that had ripped from his chest that day had seemed so other-worldly. So raw and primal. Now I understood why.

Edward's eyes were dark with want, bright with need, as I leant in and grazed my teeth over his throat.

He gasped and growled, his body bucking as he clutched me tight.

"Bella..." He hissed. Then he rolled me over, swiftly, smoothly, so he was braced above me, the muscles of his arms hard and taught.

My heart pounded, my blood roaring through my veins as he took his place between my thighs.

He watched me closely through heavy-lidded eyes.

"All of me," I whispered. "Take all of me."

With one stroke, he sheathed himself inside me.

He began to move and there was nothing slow or gentle about him. This was different. There was an urgency about him; a hunger that was wild and thrilling.

"Yes," I moaned. My hips answered his, stroke for stroke and Edward's eyes gleamed, a dark flashing emerald.

His lips parted as I arched my neck, turning my head for him, just as Emmett came roaring into the house.

"Hey! Who wants coco pops!"

Two little voices yelled, "Me! Me!" and then there were hurried footsteps coming closer, and a knock at the door.

"Uncle Nedwood? Uncle Nedwood?" Max sounded so hopeful. "You want coco pups?"

Edward stilled. His breath was harsh and ragged as he squeezed his eyes shut, and clenched his teeth. I lay beneath him, panting, on the edge of a precipice, my body coiled so tight it almost hurt.

"Don't stop," I whispered.

He pressed his forehead to mine. I gave him an internal squeeze that made him moan softly, under his breath. And we waited.

The knocking continued. I could faintly hear Emmett laughing in the background.

"Leave them alone," he said. "It's too early for Nedwood and Bella, and Mum's still out like a light. We'll grab breakfast and eat on the beach."

There was one last knock. I made a mental note not to have kids until I was forty, and then the footsteps padded back up the hall.

Edward stayed very still, though his chest heaved and his arms trembled.

"This can't be good for the heart," he muttered. "Being snatched back from the edge like that."

"No," I whispered between jagged breaths.

We heard Emmett and the kids leave, and Edward kissed me softly. A gentle press of his lips to mine.

He rolled his hips a little.

"You still with me?" he asked.

"Always."

He picked up the rhythm again.

He started slowly, his body taking time, building a delicious cadence that climbed and soared, until he'd brought us back to that trembling, frantic edge. Until I was consumed once more by a need that was almost painful.

Edward's lips worshipped at my neck, his tongue swirled over my throat, down to my collarbone as his hands fisted in the sheets.

I could feel myself ready to explode.

I pushed my head back in the pillow, exposing my neck, and felt the sting of Edward's teeth.

It was like being shot through with lightning.

I gasped. My eyes shot open, wide. "Oh God, yes...yes..."

This was everything. _He_ was everything.

Edward rose up, bringing me with him, and I clung to him, wrapping my legs round his hips, digging my fingers into his warm, hard flesh as I shattered, crying his name.

His body shuddered hard, pulsing into mine while his mouth worked and his growl burned against my skin.

Then he pulled back, eyes dark and wild as they searched mine.

My name broke on his lips, almost a sob, as he gathered me close and we collapsed in each other's arms.

-0-

He barely left a mark.

He didn't break the skin. He hadn't drawn blood.

Staring naked into the bathroom mirror, I gently touched the faintly purple crescent beneath my ear.

My skin still tingled with the memory of him.

"You alright?" Edward asked as he came up behind me. He wrapped his arms around me waist, pulling me close against his bare chest.

"Mm...boneless." I giggled.

"Me too." Edward smiled.

"Boneless. Satisfied. And...I don't know..."

"Relief?"

The mirror reflected his loving, gentle eyes.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"Me too," he whispered back.

I leant my head back against his shoulder and he shifted my hair. He tenderly grazed the mark he'd left. A light layer of make-up would cover it. Leaving my hair down would work, too.

"I didn't realise how much I wanted it," I said. "I mean, I know a lot of people enjoy biting during sex, but I've never..."

"It's new for me too." Edward nuzzled my cheek with his nose.

I turned in his arms, placing my hands on his chest.

"So, just me, huh?"  
"Just you."

I thought back over our past weeks together, the way he'd kiss over my throat and down to my shoulder.

My neck was often his first port-of-call

"I bring out the beast in you."

He considered, a wry smile on his lips.

"Perhaps," he said, lifting me and sitting me on the vanity. He settled himself between my legs and linked his hands with mine. "There's obviously some dark instinct still deep at play." He paused, his face thoughtful. "We bring some of our human nature with us when we become vampires. It makes sense that it would work in reverse."

I placed my hand on his chest, over his heart.

"So your vampire nature is still in there?"

He nodded slowly. "Somewhere. Sometimes."

I leant against him, breathing him in, kissing the curve where his neck meets his shoulder.

"If you'd been a vampire when we made love..."

He shut his eyes and touched his head to mine. "You wouldn't have survived."

I stroked the back of his neck and he sighed softly.

"You barely left a mark," I said and his lips twitched.

"Technique," he said. "I'd never be so crude as to leave you with a hickey. I'm not seventeen."

"No." I grinned. "You're definitely not."

A beam of sunlight caught the stubble on his jaw and I let go of his hand to rub my fingers over the roughness.

"I see it sometimes," I said. "The vampire. In your eyes. The turn of your head. The way you move."

"The way I move?" He smirked. "You mean when I bump into the furniture or stumble over your shoes that you've left lying at the foot of the bed?"

I rolled my eyes. "You've only tripped over my shoes twice."

"That you know about. Why can't you leave them over your side?"

"Why can't you watch where you're walking? You have eyes, Edward."

"And you have a shoe rack, Bella."

I giggled and he grinned.

"Shower?" he said.

"Shower."

He carried me in, still wrapped round his hips, and licked at the water as it ran down my neck.

"Is it like that every time for you? Have you been holding back?" I asked, untangling myself from him so I could reach the shampoo. It came out in a whoosh, spilling out of my hand and onto the floor so it foamed and frothed.

"It's not every time," he said. "It seems to be a sometimes thing." He scoffed a laugh. "I don't think I'd have the energy, anyway."

He braced his hands against the tiled wall and bowed his head beneath the water stream. "But it doesn't mean the other times are less." He turned his head and looked at me through his dripping hair. "Not at all. _Every_ time with you is...oh!"

His feet went from under him on the slippery tiles. He crashed into the glass door which flew open, spilling him onto the bathroom floor.

"Oh! Edward!"

I turned off the taps and then crouched down beside him. He sat there, rubbing his head. And then he winked.

"Gotta love some vampire-smooth moves, huh? Grr..."

-0-

Twenty minutes later I was dressed and blow-drying my hair while Edward made breakfast. Although it was closer to brunch now, probably.

There was still no signs of life from Rosalie, and I wondered if it was the pregnancy that made her sleep so long. Or if she was simply enjoying the opportunity to lie in bed longer than normal. Maybe she'd played possum so Emmett would take the kids out.

Or maybe she slept like the dead. Like Edward.

My phone beeped, interrupting my thoughts, and I smiled when Rachel's name flashed up on the screen.

I'd spoken to her yesterday, letting her know about the fire, so I guessed she was probably checking up on me.

"You still okay?" she asked, confirming my guess. "No nasty delayed after-effects?"

"All good," I said.

"Edward too?"

"He's fine."

She sighed. "I still can't believe what happened. I _loved_ your flat."

"Well, it's still standing. It can be repaired, but I won't be moving back in."

There was a pause at the other end of the line.

"Oh? So, you and Edward? You're living together?"

"Actually, we're engaged."

She'd been so vocal about Edward when we'd first started seeing each other again. She'd softened a little, but still, I waited for her to tell me it was too soon. I was surprised when she didn't.

"You're happy?" she asked tentatively.

"Very. Extremely. Beyond happy."

"Then, oh my gosh, that's so exciting! Congratulations!"

"You're not going to lecture me?"  
"Bella, I'm just so glad you're okay, and happy, and any guy that saves you from a burning building is a keeper. Why wait?"

I grinned. "That's true."

"Do you have a ring?" she asked. "Was it a romantic proposal? Did he get down on one knee? Oh, my gosh, I know the perfect place for a wedding, there's this gorgeous little chapel in the Blue Mountains..."

"Rachel..."

"Sorry," she said. "I'm getting carried away, aren't I?"

"Little bit." But I thought how well she and Alice would get on.

"So the ring?"

"Sapphire and diamonds."

"Nice. And the proposal?"  
"Very romantic." Both of them. "But no bended knee."

I could practically hear Rachel smiling.

"I can't wait to hear the details. Will you get married here? Or in America?"

"Oh, um, we haven't really worked that out yet. We haven't even decided on when. But I think it'll be soon." I didn't want to wait, and I didn't think Edward did either. "I'll keep you posted."

"Good," Rachel said. "So, are you at work tomorrow?"

Tomorrow. Monday.

"I've got a doctor's certificate for the next couple of days," I said. "But I feel fine so I'll probably go in."

"I wouldn't bother," she said. "Take your time. We've submitted the grant application and everything else winds down now for the rest of the year. It'll be quiet now until the end of January."

In Australia the academic year ran from February to November. The students had already finished and the campus had felt empty last week.

"Seriously Bella," Rachel went on. "The next big thing will be the staff Christmas party. I think it's a harbour cruise this year. You could bring Edward."

We talked a little more, about general things. Work. The movie Rachel had seen with Steve the night before. The shoes she'd bought on Friday during her lunch break. Normal things. And it felt so good to have such a regular, everyday conversation.

When I finally came out of the bedroom, Edward was in the kitchen, leaning against the sink while he talked on the phone. In his other hand he held a bottle of apple and guava juice, but he seemed to have forgotten he was holding it. His face was creased with a deep frown and from what he was saying, I assumed it was Carlisle on the other end of the line, and the conversation had something to do with Marc and Heidi.

It seemed that normal and everyday had just gone out the window and I could feel that familiar whiplash again.  
"Where did they actually land?...And the authorities in Fairbanks?...I see..."  
His voice was low, serious. I pulled up a stool and listened.  
"How is she coping?...I can imagine." He winced. "It's a good thing they found her when they did...well, Kate will be able to help with that..." There was a long silence, then he glanced up at me.  
"She's right here," he said. "I'll tell her now, and we'll be ready. Thanks Carlisle."

Edward ended the call, and set the juice bottle down on the counter.

"Marc and Heidi?" I guessed. "They're in Alaska?"

"They made it there, yes."

"And what do we have to be ready for?"

"The police. They might want to talk to us again." He took a slow breath and opened his arms and when I went to him he folded me in, close. "Given how we've just spent this morning, this isn't something I want to discuss now..."

"But we need to?"

"We do, I'm sorry." He paused. "Bella, things have gone badly for Marc."

Edward's voice was flat now, almost hard. I pulled back, looking up into his impassive face.

"What happened?"

"Heidi didn't want any official record of them landing at Fairbanks so she convinced the pilot to land in a forest clearing about sixty miles away."

"The pilot was the Marco Maretti guy, wasn't it?"

Edward nodded. "He wasn't experienced enough to try something like that though, and he was killed when the plane crashed into some trees. Marc was injured and apparently begged Heidi to change him then and there. She tried, but she lost control."

"Lost control. You're saying she killed him?"

"Yes."

"Oh...um...okay. That's...um...a shock."

Although it shouldn't be. I'd kind of assumed Marc's life would be short in the company of vampires – one way or another. But even so my stomach dropped, and I wasn't sure how to feel. Dozens of memories flickered through my mind as I stepped out of Edward's embrace.

"Wow..."

I stared down at the countertop and vaguely traced a pattern in the marble.

I hated Marc for what he'd done, but my thoughts took a surprisingly different turn, now.

I wouldn't hear his laugh again. No more texts suggesting pizza and a movie. Not that I wanted any of that, or to ever hear from him again, but for a moment I was caught up remembering the friend I'd _thought_ I'd had.

"He never ate the pizza crust," I murmured, wondering why that was my stand-out memory. "He always cut them off his slices because he didn't like the texture."

"Well, that was a red flag right there," Edward muttered.

His dark joke and lack of sympathy were understandable but I felt an unexpected stab of sadness for my friend. The emotion was fleeting though, fading quickly as I reminded myself that that friend had never really existed.

The memories of him took on a different feeling now because I knew that every laugh we'd shared, every pizza night and movie marathon, had been just another step in a self-serving plan that would have had me killed. And Edward, too.

Marc's friendship had been an illusion, a cruel facade, so no, I wouldn't be grieving for him.

I shook myself and tucked my hair behind my ears.

"Yeah, big red flag," I agreed. "And he wanted to hang out with the wrong sort of vampires, so, you know..." I shrugged. "He made his choices."

"You tried to warn him." Edward's voice was gentler now.

"Yeah, I did. I really did."

"And it was more than he deserved, Bella."

Edward pulled me into his arms again. His hug was warm and strong and I felt safe and calm. I rested my head on his bicep, nuzzling my cheek against the soft cotton of his t-shirt, and reminded myself that this was my reality; here and now in Edward's arms.

"I'm okay," I said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

Edward kissed the top of my head.

"So, how does Carlisle know all this?" I asked. "Who's Kate?"

My stomach rumbled as I spoke and Edward immediately let me go and headed for the fridge.

"Kate is one of our Denali cousins." He took out the eggs and a packet of grated cheese. "Once we knew the plane was headed for Alaska, Carlisle contacted them and asked them to be on the look out. They found the plane, and Heidi, easily enough. She's with them now."

"It's lucky that she..." I paused. " _Was_ it luck that she ended up in Alaska near your, er, cousins?"

"No, as it turns out." Edward cracked some eggs into a bowl, added milk, and began to whisk. "Everyone in Volterra knew about the Denalis, just like they knew about Carlisle. Vegetarian vampires, we were a curiosity to them. Freaks. But after the fire Heidi decided to seek them out. Her experiences with Aro have left her, uh, disenchanted I suppose you'd say. She wants to try a new life, I guess." He shrugged. "Marc wanted to be with her."

"So they really loved each other?"

Edward wrinkled his nose as he thought. "I think he was infatuated with her, and no doubt some of that infatuation was due to her gift. And for her, well, according to Kate, Heidi is distressed by his death, but not distraught, so clearly, he wasn't her mate. I suspect he was a novelty – the only human she'd ever had contact with for more than an hour and who didn't end up as dinner. Anyway, Carlisle and Esme will be on their way there, soon. I'm sure we'll hear more."

"They're leaving already? When?"

"Tonight." He grabbed a pan from the cupboard and fired up the stove. "They're on a ten o'clock flight."

"But why so soon? We've hardly had time to catch up!"

Edward paused, frowning down at the pan as he considered.

"When you're a Cullen, duty comes first." He spoke slowly, softly, almost as if to himself. "Heidi's a former Volturi guard with the gift to beguile..." He glanced up. "Without the strict rules of Volterra binding her, it'll be like going from centuries of a set menu to an all-you-can-eat buffet. And Carlisle can't ask the Denalis to get involved and then stay here to visit with us." He offered me a small, apologetic smile. "Jasper and Alice will go tonight, too."

"It'll take _everyone_ to keep her under control?"

"Initially, yes. Jasper's gift will be important, and Kate's gift is psychic electrokinesis, so...

"Psychic, what?"

"She can project an electric-like jolt through another person by touching them. So if it becomes necessary..."

"Ouch!"

Edward shrugged a shoulder. "It could save human lives," he said.

I traced more patterns on the marble, letting this all sink in.

"What will happen to her? Will she really change?" I asked.

"Well, it seems that she wants to change, so that's a big part of the battle, I suppose."

There was real disinterest in his voice now as he poured the eggs into the pan. He added salt and pepper and a handful of the cheese.

"She's going through a really hard time, isn't she? I think I feel a bit sorry for her. Don't you?"

Edward's head snapped up, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Sorry? Why would I feel sorry for her?" he asked, incredulous. "Why would _you_?"

"Well, from what you've said before, she was in as much danger from Aro as we were. She was scared, too. And then there's the whole thing with Marc."

"Bella, _all_ the Volturi were in danger from Aro. He ruled by fear, that's how he kept control. As for Marc..." He shrugged.

He focused back on the pan, tilting it back and forth, until the mixture slowly covered the bottom.

"She killed Jane," I reminded him. "At the end, when it counted, we were on the same side."

Edward shook his head.

"She was on her own side, Bella. She killed Jane so she could escape. Did you see her extending a hand to help us out of the building?"

"Er, no."

She would have left us to burn. And if I hadn't started that fire, she would have stood by while Aro had Edward and me killed. And now Edward's comments about the all-you-can-eat buffet sent a shiver through me.

"At least she's trying to change," I said hopefully.

"We'll see how that works out." He looked at me closely as he set the pan back on the heat. "You're really trying to find the good, aren't you?"

I frowned, watching him as I tried to articulate my thoughts. Why was I trying to find the good?

"I think...I think it's more about not wanting your family, people I love, in close contact with someone evil. So I _have_ to believe there's good in her. Especially if she wants to join the Denalis, and she becomes one of the cousins. She's not like Marc. I think he was worse."

Edward sighed heavily, let his head roll back on his shoulders.

He murmured something under his breath, something about making him see things differently. Then he brought his head forward again and looked at me.

"You asked if I feel any sympathy for her..." He shut his eyes. "Ask me that question again in fifty years. When nearly losing you isn't so raw and we're sitting together on the deck, holding hands, with our children and grandchildren around us." He opened his eyes and picked up the pan. "Ask me then."

He flipped the omelette. It turned in the air, a perfect somersault, and then missed the pan, catching the handle as it broke apart and flopped onto the stove top.

"Bugger," Edward muttered, and sighed as he reached for the spatula.

-0-

We waved the Cullens off at the airport that night.

There were hugs and more hugs and instructions from Esme to look after ourselves and eat well.

"I saw all those frozen pizzas in your freezer," she scolded Edward as she kissed his cheek.

Carlisle promised to keep us posted on what happened in Alaska and Alice hugged everyone one more time, before letting us know she'd started a list of wedding plans.

"I know a designer who would make you the perfect dress," she said. "I'll email you pictures, but she's booked up a year ahead so you'll have to choose soon! And there's a venue in Switzerland..."

"Switzerland!" I shook my head. "Alice, I don't think..."

"Give us a chance, Alice." Edward tousled his sister's hair then pulled her into a one-armed hug.

Jasper did one last trick for Hannah and Max, pulling dollar coins from their ears much to their delight. There was another round of goodbye hugs, and then suddenly, swiftly, the Cullens were gone.

The McCarty's flew back to the Gold Coast the next morning because Rosalie was anxious to get home.

Max and Hannah insisted on a story from Uncle Nedwood before they left.

Hannah was looking hopefully at Edward, who was looking at Rosalie, eyebrows raised in question.

"Well," Rose considered a moment. "If Uncle Nedwood doesn't mind, and if it's short."

Edward smiled. "Uncle Nedwood doesn't mind," he said.

"Yay!" Hannah and Max raced to the sofa and got comfy, faces eager. Edward disappeared into the hall.

"You want to listen too, Bella?" Hannah asked, still shy, but she shuffled over to make room on the sofa.

"Sure," I said, delighted that I'd been invited to listen to what was obviously something special.

"Who's Basil?" I asked.

"Uncle Nedwood's bear," Max said. "He's very old. From the olden days."

"He's over a hundred!" Hannah exclaimed. "And chocolate milkshakes are his favourite food."

"And he's cumsy!" Max giggled and toppled backwards to demonstrate. "But he can't has bandaids 'cause they stick to his fur."

" _Clumsy_ ," Hannah corrected her brother before turning to me. "He's only clumsy sometimes," she said. "When his superpowers run out. Then he needs chocolate milkshakes to get them back again."

"Superpowers?"

"He has super speed. Sometimes he runs so fast he flies!"

"And he's super strong!" Max flexed his muscles. "He fights lions. And bad guys."

"Wow." I glanced over at Rosalie. She winked.

"But he was locked away for a long time." Hannah was looking serious again. "In a trunk in a special posit bank where they keep special treasures."

"A safety deposit bank?"

She nodded.

"But Uncle Nedwood helped him escape," Max explained. "They's best friends."

"Okay, here we go!" Edward was back. Tucked under his arm was a bear that was obviously very old. His fur had rubbed off in places and his left ear had obviously come off at some stage and been stitched back on. It stuck out at a slightly odd angle. Around his neck he wore a faded tartan bow tie.

"This is Basil," he said to me as he sat on the edge of the coffee table, opposite Max and Hannah.

"He's a pretty special bear, I hear."

Edward shrugged a shoulder and gave me a lopsided smile. "He tries to be. Sometimes he gets it wrong."

Max was practically bouncing off the sofa.

"Tell us the story!"

So Edward settled the bear on his knee and began a story about Basil and some evil bats that swooped in to town, creating havoc and horror. The bear chased them, firing a slingshot full of sunshine that turned their wings to ash and meant the bats had to walk everywhere.

I watched the man I was going to marry as he did all the voices, and helped Basil do the actions. Max and Hannah were enthralled, sitting wide-eyed for some parts of the story and cheering wildly in others. They climbed all over their uncle when he was done, hugging him hard and begging for another story as he rolled on the floor with them, laughing.

In another whiplash moment, I decided to revise my timeline for having kids.

Maybe our honeymoon would be a good place to start.

-0-

The McCarty's said goodbye and we waved until the taxi turned the corner of the street and was out of sight. Then Edward and I were alone.

"Does it feel strange?" I asked him as we sat on the sun lounges, looking out at the sea and finding shapes in the clouds above.

"Does what feel strange?"  
"This. Having no-one else here. And no vampires to fight."

He chuckled. "I suppose it does."

"Like, what do we do now?"

"Well," Edward reached for my hand. "We could plan a wedding. And get Alice off our backs and Esme can start looking for a hat."

"A hat?"

"She always wears hats to weddings," he said.

"Actually, Renee would probably..." My voice trailed off, my smile fading. "Oh..."

"Bella?" Edward's eyes were concerned. "What's wrong."

"Nothing really." I shook my head. "It's just...I told Rachel yesterday, so probably half the faculty knows that we're getting married, and now I feel bad that my parents don't."

Understanding flashed across Edward's face.

"Of course," he said. "I'm sorry, I should have thought..." He paused. "Should I have asked your father's blessing?" He frowned. "I can't imagine he'd give it, knowing how he probably feels about me, but if you think..."

"Edward..." I leant over and took his hand in mine. "I don't need Charlie's blessing. And we both know he's going to have some reservations but he's always told me he just wants me to be happy so, I'll tell him what makes me happy, is _you_."

Edward lifted my hand and kissed each knuckle in turn.

"I'll get the laptop," he said. "We can skype them right now. It should be early evening for Charlie. A little later for Renee."

Renee would be watching Downton Abbey right about now. It was her latest passion and every evening she'd curl up with the next episode and a cup of Earl Grey because she said it enhanced the experience.

Suddenly, I missed my mom. And my dad. Especially after the events of the past week.

I could have died, and I would never have said goodbye, or told them that I loved them.

They would never have known what happened to me.

I was hit with a wave of something like grief.

I wanted to hug them.

I wanted to tell them our news in person, and have them share it with us.

Like we'd done with Edward's family.

"Bella?" Edward was on his knees beside me and he wiped away the tear that had fallen onto my cheek. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking about Renee. And Charlie. And about your family, and how happy they were for us, and the hugs and everything, and..."

"And skype won't be the same." He nodded. "You're right."

"But it's okay." I wiped at my face. "It's just the way it is, I know that. I'm being silly."

"No, you're not."

He went and got the laptop, flipping it open and settling back on the sun lounge.

"How busy are you for the rest of the year at work?"

"Um, not very busy." I remembered what Rachel had said. "Everything's pretty quiet now until January."

Edward turned the laptop around so I could see the screen. He was on an airline booking site.

"We could fly out of here next weekend," he said. "Spend Thanksgiving in Jacksonville. Or Forks. A week in each place. What do you think?"

My jaw dropped as I stared at the screen.

"Those...those are first class seats," I stammered.

"I don't fly any other way."

I looked up into Edward's face. He was serious.

"We can't. Can we?"

"Of course," he said, beaming. "Planes fly every day. We have passports and we don't need visas. It only takes an hour to pack. We could even go tomorrow if we wanted to."

"Tomorrow?" My head was spinning. "I can't go tomorrow. I need to get approval from work."

"Tuesday then."

"What about _your_ work?" I asked and he waved a dismissive hand.

"Nothing I can't do remotely at this stage. I'll just let them know I'll be out of the office for a couple of weeks."

This was so sudden. And unexpected. Kind of like Edward. And I loved him for it.

"Maybe Wednesday?" I asked.

"Wednesday it is then."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I'll see my Mom and Dad?"

"Yep." He grinned. "And we'll tell them our news in person. Although,..." He pulled a face of mock seriousness. "Now I'm human, I'm more vulnerable to Charlie's gun."

I laughed, and fresh tears spilled onto my cheeks. Edward put down the laptop and pulled me into his arms.

"It's okay, love," he said, settling me in his lap and kissing my temple. "I'll take you home."

-0-

 **A/N: The wait for this chapter was ridiculously, stupidly long, I know, and I'm sorry. But I appreciate your patience and also your support and encouragement, so much more than I can say.**

 **Thank you all xx**

 **I've had issues with the laptop over the past couple of weeks and my SpellCheck and GrammarCheck have vanished for some reason and won't come back. I just thought I was doing really well with my spelling, until I found a mistake. Anyway, I've read through over and over, but please excuse any mistakes I might have missed (or let me know so I can fix).**

 **One more chapter and an epilogue to go!**


	29. Chapter 29

A

 **Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **It's been a very long time, I know. For those of you who are still reading, thank you so much for your patience.**

 **Quick recap: Edward and Bella have vanquished the Volturi. Heidi escaped and is now in Alaska, trying to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle with the help of the Cullens.**

 **Edward and Bella have decided they want to tell Bella's parents about their engagement in person and have travelled to the US for Thanksgiving, and to share their news.**

 **-0-**

 **On a cloudy Chicago morning...**

A sharp Chicago wind was blowing as we walked along a street lined with trees and beautifully restored Victorian houses. Edward pulled me closer, opening his long dark coat and tucking me into his side, bringing me into his warmth.

"It's a lazy wind," he murmured, kissing the top of my head.

"Lazy?"  
"Mm hm. Doesn't bother going around, just cuts straight through you."

"Ah."

"You've never heard that expression?"

I shook my head. "Nope. But it's a good one."

"And an old one." He smiled down at me. "My mother used to say it all the time."

I smiled too, and squeezed my arm tight around his waist. "Is it much further?" I asked, excitement bubbling through me.

"No, just up here."

We passed three more houses, and then Edward came to a stop outside a tall two-storey home with attic windows in the roof and an enormous oak tree in the front yard.

He cleared his throat. "So, um, yeah...this is me." He gave me that crooked smile that I loved so much. "This is my house."

Two weeks earlier, as we'd planned our trip home for Thanksgiving, Edward had asked shyly if I'd like to see where he'd grown up.

He didn't need to ask twice. I'd squealed "oh my God, yes!" before he'd barely finished getting the question out. So a two-night Chicago stop-over had been worked into the itinerary, after Jacksonville and before Forks. And even though I'd known I was going to see a house, it still wasn't what I'd expected.

The classic Victorian had been so lovingly kept in its original style with the stonework and red brick, and the ornate wood trim that framed the windows and detailed the wide porch. All separated from the street by a formal garden and a wrought-iron fence.

"It's gorgeous," I whispered as we stood at the front gate. I imagined a young Edward running down the porch steps and up the path.

"It's been modernised inside." Grown-up Edward stood behind me, arms hugging me to his chest as he rested his chin on top of my head. "Updated colour scheme. I've had a couple of walls knocked down so it's more open plan. Kitchen and bathroom have been brought into the twenty first century and there's modern heating. My parents probably wouldn't recognise parts of the inside now, but I've still kept some of the original features, like the fireplace and hearth. The mosaic tiles in the entry hall. Mailbox." He tapped his long fingers on the lid of the cast iron mailbox set in the fence.

"Were they servants quarters?" I pointed to the attic windows, up high.

"Probably, once, before we lived here. We didn't have servants. I think...Mrs Sutherland came three times a week to cook and clean, but that was all. The attic space was just an open area, my father stored a lot of his legal library up there."

I wished we could see inside and wondered vaguely what the owners would think about a snap landlord's inspection.

"Which was your room?"

He pointed to a window on the middle floor, to the left.

"See the oak tree," he said. "See how the branch over there stretches right up to my bedroom window? Sometimes at night I'd climb out and sit there to look at the moon."

The wind came up again. I shivered and Edward hugged me tighter.

"You did that in summer, I'm guessing?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely summer."

I imagined him, sitting there, moon gazing. It seemed like such an Edward thing to do.

"What did you think about when you looked at the moon?"

He took in a deep breath. "Well, aeroplanes were a new thing back then, new and very exciting, and I wondered if there'd ever be a plane that would fly to the moon. I'd stare at the moon and work out where it would land. Of course I didn't know anything about zero gravity or the lack of oxygen, but I did think it might be cold up there. I thought, if I went, I'd have to wear a woollen hat beneath my leather aviator cap."

I tried not to giggle, his face was so earnest as he stared up at the tree and sky beyond, but the picture he painted with his words was so adorable.

"And maybe a woollen scarf?" I asked, biting my lip. He shot me an amused look.

"I think the scarf goes without saying, Bella."

"I love that you were thinking of walking on the moon back then. A man ahead of his time."

"And past his time, too, when you think about it."

"A man who's here, now, with me." I nestled in close to him. "What else?" I said.

"That window over the other side at the front?" He pointed. "That's the room where I was born. My parents' bedroom."

"Oh..."

So this, here, was where Edward's story really started; where he made his entrance into the world. For some reason I felt strangely moved as I stared up at the window.

"I've never thought of you as having a beginning."

"Um..." Edward rubbed his hand over the top of his head, his face confused. "You what?"

"That sounded ridiculous, didn't it?" I shook my head. "I mean, I can't imagine a time when you didn't exist. Is that weird?"

"I don't know. You didn't know I existed before you moved to Forks."

"I know, but now it's like...you're such a _thing_ in my life, and...I dunno, maybe because you used to be immortal..."

"A thing? I'm a _thing_?"

His eyes were teasing me as he pretended to be offended. I stepped back, whacking him playfully in the chest.

"I think you know what I mean."

He gathered me close again, his nose gently nuzzling my cheek, the softness of his breath washing over my skin as he spoke. "I think I do. I think it's like me, not being able to imagine a world without you in it."

I nodded. That was pretty much it.

I looked back towards the window. "There should be a plaque," I murmured. "On the fence here, next to the mailbox."

He laughed. "Birthplace of Edward Masen? I can just imagine what else it would say."

"Only good things," I said, smiling. "Now tell me more about your house."

Edward considered a moment. "I used to swing on this gate." He ran his hand along the railings. "Well, not _this_ actual gate. This one's a replacement."

"What happened to the original?"

"It sagged. Someone kept swinging on it."

He winked and I giggled.

"What else?"

His words came quickly, with warmth and affection, as he began to describe memories of his childhood home. The smells of the kitchen. The creak of the stairs that warned him his parents were going up to bed and he should turn off his lamp and pretend he hadn't been reading way past his bedtime. How the Christmas tree would stand in the bay window of the parlour with brightly wrapped presents beneath.

The screen door on the back porch.

"I'd always let it slam, much to my mother's annoyance," he said. "I hardly ever used the front door, so I'd come rushing through the kitchen, on my way to play ball, or running for school, and she'd call out, _'don't let that door slam, Edward, you'll have it off its hinges_ '. But I always did. Not deliberately. I just...didn't stop to think about it." The wind blew up and played in his hair and he shook it out of his eyes. When that wasn't enough, he let go of me so he could drag his fingers through the strands,

"What was she like? Your mother?"

"Warm," he said immediately. "Kind and comforting, she always seemed to know the right thing to say. Always ready with a hug. We shared a love of books and music and art. When I was small, she'd read me stories and she'd do all the voices." He smiled softly to himself. "She had a sharp mind, very good at reading people...I often saw her size someone up with just a look. And she'd let them know what she thought, but subtly, diplomatically." He leant on the fence, chin resting on his folded arms. "Lots of society ladies organised charity balls for widows and orphans, and they'd wear their good deeds like badges of honour, but Mom wasn't like that. She'd actually roll up her sleeves and go into the orphanage, and the poor house, and help, hands-on. And then she'd come home and go to the balls." He straightened then, hooking his hands round the fence railing and leaning back, arms stretched out, swaying ever so slightly from side-to-side and I could just imagine him swinging on the gate. Or even this, now. The pose seemed familiar to him, comfortable, like he'd slipped into it without realising.

He kept his gaze on the house. "She taught me the importance of good manners, and always offering a kind word. _A kind word never goes astray_ , she'd say. I've let her down pretty badly on that one."

"Oh, I don't know, I've always thought your manners were impeccable. It was one of the first things I noticed about you."

"It was a facade, a lot of the time. For show. Especially when I was...especially before."

"Well, I think we've all done that sometime. Put on a facade. It just makes you human. Even when you weren't."

His lips twitched, his profile hinting at a smile. He let go of the fence, and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"You telling me your shy, polite demeanour isn't always real, Bella?"

"Mm, lets just say...I worked in a coffee shop for a while in college and when I had a difficult customer I'd smile and be polite and daydream about spitting in their latte."

Edward arched a brow. "And did you ever?"

"Not telling."

He laughed and it was such a beautiful sound.

"I can't imagine that you would."

"Yeah? Well..." I gave him a playful poke in the chest. "...just don't tell me you asked for a skinny cap when we both know you ordered a long black."

He wrapped his arms around me now. "I wouldn't dare, now that you've warned me."

"Smart man. And Your mom sounds lovely. I wish I'd met her."

"I wish that, too."

"What about your dad? What was he like?"

"He was a good father." Edward gave a quick nod of his head. "A very good provider. He worked hard and made sure we never wanted for anything. He was tall, like me, and had a moustache. He liked chess and occasionally we played a game together. He usually won." Edward shrugged, like that was all there was to know. "Come on," he said, and took my hand. "Let me show you my Robin Hood tree."

By now I should have been used to the whiplash subject changes, but as Edward lead me along the pavement until we could see down the side of the house and into the back yard, I was still thrown. Especially after such an affectionate description of his mother. I'd expected something similar for his father and the lack of warmth, or even any real information, made me wonder why. But before I could ask anything more, or even wonder if I _should_ ask more, Edward was pointing out another old oak tree. This one with a canopy that seemed to cover half the back yard.

"There!" he said as I did a quick mental shift, focusing now on the tree instead of Edward Masen Snr.

"I'd spend hours in that tree," Edward said fondly. "With William and Henry and Tom, we'd climb the branches, playing Robin Hood. Sometimes pirates."

"Pirates?"

"With a little imagination, a tree makes a great ship. Everything's a mast. And sometimes we'd just sit in the branches and use a sling shot on the neighbour's chimney. We'd see who could hit the chimney pot and take a piece out of it."

"Edward! You didn't?"

He grinned, clearly delighted by my reaction. "You're shocked?"

"That you'd deliberately damage someone else's property? Yes!"

"The neighbours never knew," he said dismissively.

I peered at the terracotta chimney pot on next door's roof. It was weathered with age and rough in parts, as if, surprisingly, it might have been hit from a sling shot once or twice in days gone by. Despite Edward's apparent disregard for the property of others, this evidence of the boy he'd been made me smile.

"So you were a brat," I said.

"Sometimes, sure."

"Hmm..." I nudged him playfully in the ribs. "And now I've got a million questions about what else you got up to."

"I'll answer whatever I can." He pushed back some hair that had blown in my face. "But a lot of my memories have faded. Some are so clear but others...I try to catch them but..." He shook his head. "It's like looking at them through a silk curtain. I can see the outline, I know they're there, but there's no substance, no detail. When I try to grab them, they turn to smoke between my fingers."

"Well, it sounds like you've kept all the important ones."

I took his hand, leading back along the pavement so I could see the windows again. "Christmas and family and friends. Chimney pots. I love seeing where you grew up. I love seeing your window. And your Robin Hood tree. Thank you for showing me."

"I wanted you to have my whole story," he whispered. "I want you to have _all_ of me. Or as much as I can give you."

I lifted his hand to my lips, kissing his palm and smiling as I studied his long fingers and the pale crescent moons at the base of his nails. Strangely, those little crescents hadn't been there when he was a vampire, but they would have been there when he'd climbed trees and shot rocks at chimney caps.

He watched me with tender emerald eyes, curling his fingers around mine.

"If I'd known you back then, it would have been so different." The corner of his mouth lifted in a small, almost wistful, smile. "I would have escorted you to dances, and picnics, and walked you home again afterwards. On Sunday afternoons we'd take a stroll through the park, or sit together on your front porch, sipping lemonade. I would have gifted you books of poetry, and brought you flowers. Maybe a ribbon for your hair." He glanced down, his thumb stroking gently over my knuckles, over the sapphire he'd placed there. "After a few months of courtship I would have gone to your father, clumsy and nervous, and asked for your hand. Then, I would have got down on one knee, offered you my heart, and asked you to be my wife. And, assuming you said yes, I would have asked to kiss you."

He slowly lifted his gaze.

"May I kiss you, Isabella?"

His words, the emotion in his eyes, stole my breath away. Heart too full for words, I simply nodded as Edward lowered his head, and kissed me sweetly by his front gate.

He looked very pleased with himself when he pulled back, and gently brushed the back of his fingers across my cheek while I tried to calm the flutter in my stomach. There was something to be said for old-fashioned romance, I decided.

"Come on," he whispered. "There's more to show you."

He gave the mailbox another drum of his fingers, as if to say a cheery goodbye, then we strolled back to the rental car, arm-in-arm, like it was a Sunday afternoon in 1918. Edward held the door for me as I slid into my seat. As he climbed behind the steering wheel, my phone beeped with a text, and I was jolted back sharply into the 21st century.

"Renee?" Edward asked with a smirk as I fumbled with the phone.

"How did you..." I didn't bother finishing that sentence. I already knew the answer.

We'd left Florida this morning, and my mother had texted me 11 times in the five hours since we'd said goodbye.

"More wedding dresses?"

"Flowers this time. Actually, alternatives to flowers. Apparently balloon bouquets are a thing."

"Balloons?" Edward chuckled. "I love your mother," he said as we pulled away from the curb. "I think she's almost as excited about this wedding as I am."

"Yeah, she's totally on board."

"On board? She's practically captain of the ship."

Back in Sydney, when I'd told her over Skype that I was coming home for Thanksgiving, she'd squealed with delight. When I said Edward was coming with me, there'd been surprise. As I explained how we'd run into each other again she'd given a joyful laugh and talked about fate, destiny and the universe. It had left me feeling positive about how she might react when we told her we were engaged, although our announcement hadn't gone quite as planned.

.

 _It was early evening when the taxi pulled up outside the stylish bungalow that Renee and Phil called home and I'd barely stepped onto the pavement before the red front door was flung wide open._

" _Bella, honey!"_

 _My mother came running down the path, scarves billowing behind her, amber beads swinging._

" _Mom!"_

 _She swept me into her arms and I dropped my satchel bag so I could hug her back._

" _Oh, honey, it's so good to see you." She rocked us, side-to-side. "This is going to be a wonderful Thanksgiving. Wonderful." She pulled back, holding me at arms length, grinning. "You look amazing. Happy. And...that's Edward?" She glanced over to where he was paying the driver and getting our luggage out of the trunk. "Wow. He looks taller than I remember. And bigger. Not so lean."_

" _He's older," I said, clearing my throat. "Not seventeen anymore. He works out now and, you know, you only saw him that one time, for a few days in Phoenix." I felt my face flush as I manipulated the truth and wondered if I was over-explaining._

 _Renee nodded. "True," she murmured. "He was usually curled up asleep in that hospital chair in the corner. He hardly left your side, I remember."_

 _The taxi drove away, Edward set our bags on the footpath and came forward to greet my mother._

" _Mrs Dwyer," he said, extending his hand. "It's lovely to see..."_

" _Oh, it's Renee, please. And handshakes are for business deals." She embraced him warmly. "Welcome, Edward, it's good to have you here. I hope you like turkey samosas and pumpkin egg rolls, I'm trying something experimental for Thanksgiving this year."_

" _Sounds great. Thank you," he said and he beamed at me over her shoulder._

" _Now lets go inside." She let Edward go, patting him on the arm as she stepped back. "We'll have dinner and catch up and I'll show you the clock I told you about, Bella." She started heading up the path, talking as she went. "Edward, has Bella mentioned my new passion to you? I'm collecting vintage decor from the fifties and sixties. I believe you're very familiar with the mid-century period." She began describing her replica of a George Nelson sunburst clock while Edward threw me a slightly startled look. I rolled my eyes._

" _I said he knows a lot about_ music _from the period, Mom." I turned to Edward. "We were talking about a vintage record player she's seen."_

" _I'm watching it on eBay," Renee explained, turning to face us as she walked backwards up the path. "I'm planning to bid at the last minute."_

" _Ah." Edward nodded. "Well, music I can talk about, Renee, but I'm afraid mid-century décor isn't really my area of expertise."_

" _Oh that's alright. I can..."_

" _Mom!"_

 _She stumbled, her feet tripping over themselves. Edward and I both grabbed for her at once, each of us grabbing an arm._

 _Renee laughed._

" _Silly me," she said and took my hand as she straightened. "That'll teach me to walk backwar..."_

 _Her fingers caught on my ring and suddenly the sapphire had all her attention._

 _Her head snapped up and she looked quickly from me to Edward and back to me. "Is this what it looks like? Because it looks like an engagement ring. And a serious one. Am I right?"_

 _Now I was flustered as I took back my hand to clasp Edward's._

 _Crap. This wasn't the plan. We were supposed to tell her and Phil over dinner, with the wine we'd bought specially to celebrate, but as her eyes pinned me in place, Edward gave me a wink and took the lead._

" _Renee, we realise it will come as a surprise, and this wasn't how we planned to tell you, but yes, you're right." He shot a quick, beaming smile at me. "I love your daughter very much, and by some miracle that I don't dare question, she feels the same way about me. We're getting married, and we hope we have your blessing."_

 _Renee went uncharacteristically quiet and my heart stopped, waiting for her response. I wished I could read her mind – was she remembering all the times I'd said I didn't believe in marriage? I gripped Edward's hand tight. His thumb made circles on my skin, trying to soothe, then he gave a quick double squeeze, reminding me to breathe, and I sucked in a quick breath._

 _I watched my mother as she processed our news; as her blank expression slowly became...smug._

" _Well, I can't say I'm completely surprised," she finally said. "When you told me you were back together and both coming to Thanksgiving, I did wonder. Oh Bella, baby..." She pulled me into a rib-crushing hug that left me relieved and gasping, and with the imprint of her beads against my neck._

" _Mom, air..."_

" _Oh, sorry." She let go quickly, laughing, clasping her hands to her chest. "You absolutely have my blessing. I just want you to be happy sweetheart, and it's obvious that you are. And so in love. It's in every line of your face." She reached out, her eyes shining as she touched my cheek. "And if you're wondering if I think it's too soon..."_

" _Er, actually I wasn't..."_

" _I don't think it is," she went on, not missing a beat. "You've always known your own mind and you never make decisions lightly, I know that very well. But once you do make a decision it's because it's right for you, I know that too. You've obviously overcome your issues from the past, and that's a big test to pass, so...oh, come here!"_

 _She hugged me again, a little more gently this time, and I sank into her, relieved and revelling in her love and warmth. There really was no-one like my mom and I was beyond happy that I could share this moment with her._

" _And you too, Edward," she said, letting me go after a moment and turning to him. "Welcome to the family." She wrapped him in her arms again, even more enthusiastically this time, and once more he was beaming at me over her shoulder as he hugged her back. I laughed when this time he added a thumbs-up._

" _Have you decided on a date?" she asked, turning to me again. "Or where? In Australia?"_

" _Er, not decided yet."_

" _Then you're open to ideas?"_

 _There was a different spark in her eye now and I was instantly wary._

" _Well, that depends on the idea, Mom."_

 _She laughed again. "Oh, don't worry, I'll control myself. And why are we still standing outside! Come on, lets go and celebrate, and look at wedding websites."_

 _She walked forwards now and we followed her up the steps, towing our bags behind us, smiling at each other while Renee talked again about the universe and destiny, love and fate. As we walked into the entry hall, she stopped, and gently touched Edward's cheek._

" _You're an old soul, like Bella. I can see it in your eyes." Her gaze went over him, appraising now that she was over all the initial shock and excitement. She dropped her hand. "I'm sorry," she said with a self-conscious laugh. "I know I'm staring but you're just so...different."_

" _I grew up," Edward said quickly._

" _No, it's more than that." Renee waved away his explanation. "More than filling out and getting taller and me not remembering you clearly."_

 _Shit! My joy took a quick back seat as my stomach dropped. Only ten minutes with my mother and I felt like I'd ridden the roller coaster at Six Flags. Twice._

" _There's something, I don't know..._ calmer _about you? All that intensity has faded."_

" _It was a stressful time in Phoenix," Edward said. "Not good for the teen angst."_

" _True." She smiled a little. "But your eyes, they used to be..."_

" _It's amazing what laser surgery can do these days. Goodbye tinted contacts." Edward's lie came easily, smoothly, and with a smile, while I chewed my thumbnail and tapped my foot._

" _Really?" Renee continued. "That unusual amber colour was contacts? Did you have a problem with depth perception? I had a student once who needed yellow tinted glasses to help with that. I didn't realise contacts could do the same thing."_

 _Edward's smile never faltered, but the tension showed faintly now in the lines round those different eyes. "It's just another option. Oh, hey!" He pointed at the coffee table. "Is that an original Mathmos Astro lava lamp?"_

 _._

I was laughing softly to myself now, remembering that evening as I looked at her texts.

"What's funny?" Edward asked as we stopped at a red light.

"My mother. And your sudden, surprisingly detailed knowledge of mid-century décor, specifically lava lamps."

He exhaled in a gust. "Alice had one," he said. "Until Emmett broke it. And your mother is sharp. You might call her erratic and hare-brained, but she's one of the most perceptive people I've ever come across. It was like she could see right through me." He shot me a look, the tension echoing in his eyes again, before he shook his head and chuckled.

"But the lava lamp saved the day." I grinned.

"Fortunately, Renee's as easily distracted as she is perceptive."

"Well, you were very enthusiastic about it. For a moment there I thought we were going to end up with a lava lamp themed wedding."

"Sixties psychedelia," he said. "You could wear a white mini dress and go-go boots."

"What would you wear?"

"Flares, cheesecloth. A string of love beads."

I cocked my head, studying him with a grin.

"Did you wear flares and cheesecloth in the sixties?"

Edward cleared his throat. "Once or twice, maybe. For appearance sake. It's not something I'm proud of."

"Are there photos?"

"Oh God, I hope not."

I snorted, and made a mental note to ask Alice next time I saw her, though I wasn't sure when that would be. There'd been no word from the Cullens for a couple of weeks.

My phone beeped again.

"More balloons?"

"Um, no. It's a bouquet of chocolates, now. In the shapes of hearts and flowers."

"In case you get hungry during your vows?"

"I swear, she's like Alice, on steroids."

Edward threw his head back and laughed.

I shuddered. "Imagine if the two of them got together to plan?"

"We'd have to elope," he said without missing a beat.

"Yep. Or we'd be caught up in some sort of wedding wonderland with dancing doves and drones dropping flower petals during the ceremony. Belly dancers at the reception. Fireworks after dinner."

"Sounds like a theme park," Edward said. "Or a circus."

"And they'd be the ring masters."

"And we'd be the monkeys." He chuckled darkly. "Performing tricks for the guests. Probably best that we keep Alice and Renee well and truly apart."

I pictured the two of them, pouring over fabric swatches and bridal magazines. Before she'd left Sydney, Alice had talked about wedding venues in Switzerland and exclusive dress designers. Edward had politely told her to back-off. It seemed that she had.

"I'm kind of surprised we haven't heard anything from Alice."

Edward shrugged. "Heidi will be keeping them busy. It'll take more than a couple of weeks to rein in five hundred years of vampire instinct." He reached out to turn on the radio. "It's like an addict going cold turkey, the craving will make her more volatile, and there's always the possibility she won't be able to change, no matter how much she might think she wants to." He changed gears and accelerated as the light went green. "In many ways, it's like dealing with a newborn, and my family can't let their attention be diverted from her, even for a second. Even for our wedding."

There was a subtle tightness around his eyes.

"Are you worried about them?"

"They know what they're doing," he said quickly and kissed my knuckles. "They'll be in contact when there's news." Then he chuckled softly as my phone beeped with a new text. "Another bouquet alternative?" he asked.

"Er, no." I smiled down at the screen, my thoughts diverted again. "She's sent a picture of a house this time."

It had turned out that Edward and I weren't the only ones with big news.

Once we'd finished our special celebratory engagement wine, Renee had brought out a bottle of champagne and announced that she and Phil were moving to Honolulu.

It had been my turn to stare, mouth swinging open, as she explained how Phil had scored a permanent position as baseball coach for a University there, and they were going to sell Jacksonville and make Hawaii their forever home. And then Phil had chimed in, explaining how Renee had already registered with the Hawaii Department of Education.

" _She'll be eligible for a permanent teaching role once we're settled, with a permanent address," he said._

" _So..." Renee was watching me closely. "What do you think, Bella, honey?"_

 _What did I think? For a moment I wasn't sure. There'd been so many moves over the years, and I'd thought she was settled at last in Jacksonville. As I sat at her dining room table with Edward's hand on my knee squeezing gently, I remembered all the times we'd packed up the car and driven somewhere new, seemingly at a moment's notice. But this, now, wasn't about following some whim, or the weather. This was a real life decision, with a secure job waiting for Phil, and teaching prospects for my mom, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought Renee and island life were a good fit._

" _Oh my gosh, I think this is perfect for you guys! You'll love Hawaii!"_

 _I got out of my chair and went to hug her and Phil._

" _I know!" Renee giggled. "And it's only a nine-hour flight from Sydney," she said. "Instead of twenty. We'll be so much closer, at least for the next couple of years. Maybe forever, if you decided to stay in Australia. And you know, wherever I am in the world sweetie, there'll always be a home for you there. Now, I've been researching," she went on as my shock faded and we clinked glasses."I already know the area we'd like to live in, and we might not be able to get exactly the same as we have here, we might have to go a little smaller, a little older, might have to give up two full bathrooms and have one and a half instead, but that's okay! It's the island lifestyle we're buying, not a mansion!"_

 _._

"What's this place like?" Edward asked, throwing a quick glance at my phone.

"Like all the others. Small. Two bedrooms One-and-a-half bathrooms. The kitchen's been renovated, though. Not too far from the beach. Looks like she's starting to take your advice on board."

While our days in Jacksonville had been about showing Edward my old haunts and braving the Thanksgiving sales with Renee, our evenings had alternated between wedding and real estate websites. Renee had clearly had her rose-coloured glasses on, and Phil didn't have a head for real estate, so Edward had occasionally brought her back to earth with gentle suggestions about pest and building inspections, and reminders that there could be more to peeling paint in the bathroom than just a chance to redecorate.

"It looks well-maintained," I added. "The garden's really nice."

"How old is it?"

"1970s."

He nodded, but said nothing.

I replied to my mom with a smiley face. **Great garden,** I typed. **Love the kitchen countertops.**

Then I turned my phone off, and slipped it away. No doubt we'd be skyping later and I wanted no more distractions right now as I focused back on the Chicago skyline, and the reason for our visit.

"Okay," I said. "Where to next?"

.

His father's law firm.

The building was still there. Listed by the historical society, the three-storey stone building looked like it must have when Edward Masen Snr had walked its floors. I wondered if now, in this place, the son might be more forthcoming about his father.

"It's a firm of architects, now," Edward said as he parked the car and we got out. He took my hand and led me across the street so we stood in the building's shadow.

"He worked hard," Edward said softly. "Six days a week and lots of evenings buried in his study after dinner." He flashed me a quick smile. "Once I turned thirteen I worked here after school, two days a week. More days during vacation. Running errands. Delivering messages and letters and contracts all over town."

"Yeah? This was your first job, here?" I walked over to the three wide stone steps that led up to a tiled entry alcove with a pair of fancy-panelled wooden doors beyond. "You walked up and down these steps..."

"Not the bottom one. I always jumped that. I thought it was unlucky. Can't remember why."

"You were superstitious?"

His lips twitched. "I guess so. Kind of ironic, huh?"

I made my way across the mosaic-tiled alcove and curled my hand around the long, highly-polished brass door handle; feeling the same cold smoothness Edward would have felt, over a hundred years before.

"Did you like it? Working here?" I glanced back at him over my shoulder.

"I liked the pocket money. A dime a day." He leant against the wall of the alcove, arms folded across his chest. "But looking back now, I think it was also an opportunity to see more of my father, and for him to see more of me."

"Oh?" Was this the 'more information' I'd been hoping for? Or at least, the start of more? When Edward stayed silent, I went for a gentle prompt.

"You, er, said he was a good provider. Back at the house."

Edward eyed me keenly.

"That probably sounded cold."

"Er, a little, yeah. Especially after hearing so much about your mom."

He nodded.

"I can see how it might seem that way, but it was a very different time," he said. "You can't measure Edwardian society by modern-day standards."

He had a point, I supposed. Back then, society demanded different things of men and women.

"But you're not convinced, are you?"

I shrugged. His comments still seemed cold, and I wasn't sure how to respond without offending him.

"It just didn't sound like you _knew_ your father very well."

Edward shrugged, too. "I probably didn't," he said matter-of-factly. "There was some distance there, definitely. But he was a man of his time and back then, the greatest thing a man could be was a good protector and provider for his family. Food on the table, roof over our heads. I had all that, plus the music lessons and the best private schools. By Edwardian standards, he was an excellent father." He smiled a little, the formality in his voice softened. "He was the best."

"And he liked to have you working here." I smiled a little too, understanding better now.

Edward nodded and looked down, rubbing his foot over the mosaic tiles. "He expected me to join the firm one day. Masen and Son, Attorneys at Law. That was my future. Did I ever tell you that?"

"Not really." He'd mentioned so little of his human life back in Forks. "But you weren't interested in being a lawyer, were you?"

"Lets say that, as time went on, I had other ideas."

"Army?"

He nodded. "We used to argue about it, actually. A lot." He pushed away from the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets. "His plans for me were very clear and always had been. I'd never thought much about it when I was younger, it was just sort of accepted, but once I turned sixteen, things changed. Well, _I_ changed. And suddenly I knew the law wasn't for me, after all. The war had started and I was becoming more aware of the world." His brow furrowed. "But my awareness was through the eyes of an inexperienced youth and fighting an enemy on foreign soil seemed far more exciting than pushing paper in an office. When America officially joined the war in 1917, I decided the army was what I wanted. Not the law."

"And your father didn't agree?"

"No. He didn't."

"What about your mom?"

"She didn't want to lose her son to battle." He sighed softly and, coming forward, reached out to the door handle, his touch almost affectionate as he gently ran his fingers over the brass. "Things became strained between us and I stopped coming here. But despite all that, despite the arguments, and what you might see as coldness, I was never in any doubt that my father loved me. I think he knew I loved him, too. I think he understood. I hope he did."

"I'm sure he did," I whispered.

Edward seemed lost in thought, though a small smile tugged on his lips. Then he let go of the door handle and, taking my hand, walked us back down the steps to the footpath.

"Which was his office?" I asked, looking upwards.

"That one, there." Edward pointed to a large window beside the alcove. It looked out over the street.

"Your father's firm was on the first floor? No city views?" Not that the third floor would have much of a look-out, but still.

"The first floor was prime position, back then," Edward said. "In the days before elevators, the first floor meant you didn't have to climb the stairs. Rents got cheaper and the prestige got less, the higher up you went."

"Ah." I nodded. "Got it."

Edward tucked me close into his side now, as we began to stroll along the street.

"The post office was in the next block. Every afternoon I'd take the day's mail to be stamped and posted." He chuckled softly.

"What?"

"Well, the mail run wasn't exactly exciting, so I used to play a game. Turned it into a personal challenge by timing myself, seeing how fast I could get there."

"You had a stopwatch?"

"No. I, er...sang."

I spluttered a laugh. "You _sang_?"

"Quietly, in my head. Same song each time. I'd try to get from here to the corner before I got to the end of the first verse. Then to the post office before I got to the end of the chorus. As long as there was no traffic when I wanted to cross the street, I was good. If there was a horse and cart in the way, or a truck, it'd put me into the second verse. Unless I could dodge round them – that was always an added challenge. I slipped in horse manure once, right in the middle of that intersection up there. I'd run between two carts, fell and split my pants, all while being yelled at by the cart drivers because I was scaring the horses. But the mail got through and I still made it before the end of the second verse."

It had happened over a hundred years ago, but I could still sense the faintest trace of pride in his voice.

"You were born competitive, weren't you? What song did you sing?"

"Take Me Out To The Ballgame."

He began to hum, and I recognised the tune. Then Edward began to sing, very softly, under his breath.

" _Take me out to the ballgame, take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks, I don't care if I never get back..._ "

"Are you walking faster?"

"No."

"You are! You're speeding up."  
He stopped abruptly and grinned down at me. "Old habits."

"Very old," I teased.

He arched an indignant brow. "Not that old."

"We're talking about life before traffic lights, Edward." Then I reached round and squeezed his gorgeous backside. "But you're looking pretty good for your age, Mr Masen."

He squeezed my butt in return. "And I can still get the girl," he said.

.

On our way to get lunch we drove past a shopping mall where, apparently, there'd once been a pond, and where Edward had bloodied his nose more than once.

"Sledding," he said. "We'd have races down the slope and over the little snowbank at the bottom, onto the ice. The winner was the one whose sled made it furthest across the pond but if you missed and hit the edge of the snowbank at the wrong angle the sled would tip and _throw_ you onto the ice." He grimaced and gave a theatrical shiver. "I missed a lot."

A few blocks further on, we stopped outside the fancy iron gates of a private school. A large red-brick, ivy-covered building declared itself established in 1833.

"Where I spent a lot of my formative years," Edward said as we stood on the sidewalk. "I'd ride my bike through those gates every day, satchel on my back."

"Did you have a uniform?"

"Yep."

"I bet you were a good student. All A's?"

"Would it sound arrogant of me if I said yes?"

"No."

"Then yes."

I laughed and peered closer through the gates. "This place looks like something out of Downton Abbey. Forks High must have seemed pretty shabby after this."

"Oh, I don't know." He gave me a wink. "Forks High had it's good points."

A little further away, amongst a block of office buildings, was a parking lot which had once been the field where he had played baseball, hit a home run in 1914, and apparently had his first fist fight.

"I can't remember what the fight was about," he said. "But I do know I got at least one good punch in before I got my lip split."

Around the corner was the church where he'd attended Sunday school, played the organ at a couple of Christmas services, and gone to Saturday night dances in the hall.

"Not that I danced much," he said as we sat on the stone wall that surrounded the churchyard. "I mostly stood in the corner with a cup of lemonade."

"You were a wallflower? I can't imagine that."

"I was sixteen, all arms and legs and on the wrong side of clumsy. Girls were a complete mystery to me,I didn't know how to act around them, didn't know what to say. I wasn't the only one like that, though." He chuckled. "There were a lot of us grouped around that lemonade table."

I cocked my head, studying him The elegant lines of his body. It was true, as a human he sometimes stumbled into things, but the dancing he'd done that night in his kitchen had been smooth and easy.

"Nope. I really can't imagine it."

Edward scrunched up his nose. "Actually, maybe it's better if you don't try."

.

Lunch was at a restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan and while Edward took a human moment I admired the view, and switched my phone back on.

There were no more messages from Renee, but there was one from Charlie.

 **I'm getting some groceries in. Is Edward still on that special diet?**

My father's reaction to learning Edward and I were dating again had been both predictable, and surprising. There'd been shock, anger, and demands to know what the hell I thought I was doing.

" _Have you forgotten what he did to you, Bella? Because I haven't!"_

I'd expected exactly that response, which was why I'd chosen to skype with him while Edward was at work.

Immediately, I'd launched into a prepared speech; it was a long time ago, we were just kids, but we never stopped caring about each other.

" _And since then?"_ Charlie had snapped. _"If he cared so much why did_ you _have to track_ him _down?"_

I'd been prepared for that too, but the surprise had come after I'd explained about the Facebook post, and the picture of me with Alexander and my grandmother's ring.

" _He thought I was engaged, Dad. He stayed away because he believed I was happier without him. He thought I was better off."_

I'd waited for another put-down, a sarcastic comment, but instead Charlie had fallen silent for a long time, his face wearing the same look I'd seen the night I left for Phoenix when James came after me. A look of hurt, almost defeat, that had made my heart lurch. But then he'd shaken himself, and rubbed his hand roughly over his face. He'd asked if Edward was who I really wanted; if he truly made me happy. I'd bitten my lip, feeling my eyes fill. When I said yes, Charlie had answered with a nod.

" _I'll clear my fishing gear out of your room. And I'll make up the sofa-bed in the living room. For Edward."_

I didn't understand the sudden change of heart and, knowing my dad, the reason behind it would probably remain a mystery, so I just hoped that it lasted, especially after we told him we were engaged.

I texted back...

 **No more special diet. But thank you for asking.**

I added a smiley face.

"Everything okay?" Edward slid back into the seat opposite me, wincing as he banged his leg on the table. It was probably good that he'd stayed by the lemonade table back in 1917.

I held up my phone. "Charlie's asking what you eat these days. That's a good sign."

Despite my father's seeming acceptance of Edward's return, the visit to Forks could still be problematic. We both knew that. It was hanging over us like a cloud but this text from Charlie was like a silver lining.

"It's very thoughtful," Edward agreed.

"You seem wary, though."

"Because I am wary." He sighed. "Bella, I'm not going to assume anything. Your father seems fine now but once he hears our news, that could change. Dating me again is one thing. Marriage is something else altogether. And when Jacob and the wolves hear I'm back in town, and that we're together..." He studied me over the top of his menu. "Are you sure it's a good idea not to prepare them in advance?"

This was something I'd gone back-and-forth about a lot – whether to tell Jake now, before we arrived, that Edward was back in my life, and human. I'd decided, in the end, that the element of surprise would work to our advantage, and had sworn Charlie to secrecy about Edward coming home with me, saying I wanted to tell people in my own time, in my own way. I'd even asked him not to tell Sue.

"Yes, I'm sure," I said and under the table I nudged his foot playfully with mine. "Telling them anything now just gives them time to get the pitchforks ready before we arrive." My teasing was answered with a wry smile.

"Pitchforks? I think you mean wooden stakes and holy water." He cocked his head. "You're being very optimistic. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Optimistic doesn't mean I'm not realistic." I took a sip of soda. "Things could go either way, I know there might be trouble but I'm not going looking for it in advance. I just don't...what are you thinking?" Edward had glanced away, towards the windows and the view.

"I'm thinking..." He turned back to me slowly, his eyes bright with emotion. "That you've always been that way."

"What way?"

"Looking for the silver linings. Hoping for the best." He reached out to take my hand. "Seeing the man in the monster."

I smiled and rubbed my thumb over his. "Now you say I'm optimistic, but there was a time you called me crazy. And hang on...I thought you'd decided you weren't a monster."

"You're right, I wasn't. But I thought I was, back when I also thought you were crazy." He leaned close across the table, lowering his voice. "But even though you're optimistic, I'm still wary. For your sake, not mine. I don't want you to lose friends. Or family. Being human will make the treaty void. I'm no longer their mortal enemy and I'm definitely no threat, but even so, I know they won't be welcoming me with open arms."

"That's okay." I nudged his foot again. "Because I will."

My phone beeped again. Another Charlie text. "Oh, wow..." I held up the phone so Edward could see. "He's seriously making an effort," I said. "So, what do I answer? What beer do you like?"

"What does your father like?"

"Miller Lite."

"That one."

.

After lunch we drove across town and I was surprised when Edward pulled into the parking lot of the Stroger Hospital.

I looked at him curiously. "Lunch didn't agree with you?"

He smirked a little. "This is just the last stop on the Edward Masen grand tour," he said as he came to open my door.

We held hands as we walked through the parking lot, past the main hospital buildings and smaller medical centres, into the street behind, which seemed to be from a different world.

We stopped in front of a vast building that had clearly once been grand, but was now derelict. Eerie, like something from a horror film, it stood empty and shuttered, fenced off from the world. It wasn't until I saw Edward's sombre eyes, that I understood where we were. My stomach lurched. This really had been the last stop for Edward Masen.

"You...this is where..."

"Cook County Hospital," he said. "This is where Carlisle found me. Somewhere on the third floor." He pointed. "I don't remember arriving, but I have some very cloudy memories of my last days as a human. Carlisle is one of those memories."

My eyes scanned the broken third floor windows, as if I might see into the past if I looked hard enough.

"It was his voice mostly, that I remember. My vision was almost gone so I couldn't really make out his face, but his voice..."

I squeezed Edward's hand, pressing my fingers hard against his, not sure if it was for his comfort, or mine. I wished there was something I could say, but there were no words for something like this, so I just held on as he talked.

"There was a blue jug, too. I remember that. It was on the table beside my bed and the nurse would pour water from it for me to drink. Like I said, my vision was almost gone, but I could still make out the blue. Then one day, I couldn't. That night, Carlisle came for me."

The shiver that ran along my spine had nothing to do with the cold.

"Did...he didn't do it there though, did he?"

"No." Edward's eyes were focused on the windows of that third floor. "I don't remember, but he's told me he wheeled my bed towards the morgue – no-one noticed I was still breathing and with so many dying, no-one questioned him. But then he slipped out a back door and carried me away over the rooftops. What I _do_ remember, is when the night air hit me. It was cold. So cold. I didn't know what was happening, and by that stage I was too far gone to care, but after the heat of the fevers that cold night air felt like relief."

I let go of Edward's hand, wrapped my arms around him, and squeezed as hard as I could.

"I debated whether to bring you here," he said. "I wondered if it seemed morbid but if I was sharing _all_ of my story with you, then this was part of it. A big part." His gaze dropped, his eyes dark. "Is it alright?" he asked. "That I brought you here."

"Of course. I want all of you. Every part."

Edward hugged me closer.

"What about your parents?" I asked, hoping it wasn't an insensitive question.

He looked at me quizzically. "They died."

"No, I mean, um...where are they buried. Do you want to go and visit them while you're in town?"

Visit them? Like he was going to drop in for a cup of coffee? Seriously, couldn't I think of a better choice of words?

"I've already visited them," he said. "In my own way." He smiled softly and I was left wondering what he meant. My mind went back over the previous few hours.

"Oh!" I blinked, remembering how he'd so gently touched the door handle at his father's office, and tapped a happy rhythm on the mailbox at his house. "At the office, and the mailbox. You were saying hello?"

He nodded. "I don't need to sit by a grave to remember. And even if I did..." He exhaled sharply and stared down at the ground. "There's nowhere to sit."

I didn't understand. "Your parents don't have graves?"

"They do. I just don't know where they are. Back then, at the peak of the epidemic, the city couldn't cope. People were dying at such a rate the hospitals, morgues, undertakers, couldn't keep up. Whole families could be wiped out in a matter of days. With me so sick and then gone, there was no-one left to make proper arrangements for my parents. There was no-one to claim them."

This was something I'd never even thought about but of course, who would have arranged funerals for Edward's parents?

"But Carlisle..."

"Was busy with me." He gave a sad smile.

"Oh, Edward..." My voice cracked and I wrapped myself around him. "What do you think happened to them?"

"The most likely scenario? They're in one of the Cook County communal cemeteries, with lots of other people who were in the same circumstances. I've tried a few times over the years to find them. Carlisle's helped. We've searched through archives but there was so much chaos back then, records were lost or not kept at all. Their deaths were recorded, I have the certificates, but beyond that..." He cleared his throat. "I felt incredibly guilty. Carlisle would tell me that there was nothing I could have done, that I truly had no control over the situation and my parents would understand. It took me a long while before I believed that, but eventually, I did."

He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. His thumb scrolled over the screen, and then he held it up for me to see.

It was the University of Chicago website. Specifically, the page for the law faculty.

"The Edward J Masen Scholarship," I read out. "Your father?"

Edward nodded. Then he scrolled over the phone again. Once more, he held it up.

"The Elizabeth Masen Music Scholarship."

Curious, I took the phone from him so I could read more. Both scholarships were awarded every year to students from disadvantaged and low income backgrounds.

"Four years of tuition, fees, accommodation, books, supplies, oh my gosh, Edward, this is the full-ride!"

"I wanted there to be something that said my parents had been here. I thought this might be a good way."

"It's an incredible way." I handed back the phone, my head spinning.

He tucked the phone back in his pocket. "I feel closer to them when I'm managing the scholarships, and when I visit the house or the office, than I ever would sitting beside a grave. Even if I knew where to sit." He gave me a half smile as I hugged him again.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I was always going to, but it's not the sort of thing that just comes up in conversation. _Hi, I like climbing mountains and drinking merlot, oh, and I set up scholarships in my parents' names."_ His lips twitched with a smirk. "I was waiting for the right moment."

He looked back at the hospital, rocking me in his arms as he stared at the third floor windows. He took one deep breath, then another.

"Lets go," he said quietly and kissed me as we turned away.

.

The Drake Hotel was a work of art.

As the valet took the car keys, Edward took my hand.

"Did you ever come here?" I asked as we walked into the grand foyer. "Before?"

"No. It opened in 1920, but it's somewhere I would have brought you." He winked. "If we'd both been alive back then."

While Edward checked us in I explored the lobby, wandered over to the doors of the Palm Court Restaurant, and peeked in.

"Oh, wow..."

Fine china and white linen. Dark timber and chandeliers. Opulence and classic elegance. Suddenly, I found myself wondering what it might be like to have a wedding here. Maybe that was an option – get married in Edward's old home town. Sort of like coming full circle, I thought.

"Do you like it?" Edward's voice was soft in my ear.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

He dangled a key in front of me. "Wait until you see our suite."

The studio suite was absolutely something else; an exercise in true luxury, and Edward beamed as he looked around. "It certainly lives up to the photos on the website."

I kicked off my shoes, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet as I wandered slowly around, admiring the stunning mix of elegant contemporary décor with art deco details, like fluted brass doorknobs and bevel edged wall mirrors.

The king-sized bed was piled with pillows and set on a podium, in a generous alcove, with sweeping views of Lake Michigan.

I stood close to the glass, watching the choppy, white-tipped waves crest and break. Edward came up behind me, brushing my hair back from my neck so he could kiss beneath my ear. I moaned and pressed back against his hips. My eyes fluttered closed when I heard him hiss.

He slid the jacket from my shoulders, dropping it on the floor. "I've booked the restaurant for dinner..." He nudged my shirt aside with his nose and bit down gently on the curve of my shoulder. "But now I'm thinking room service might be a better..."

My phone sounded from the depths of my bag, Renee's ringtone interrupting him, and he stilled. Then he straightened and gave a resigned chuckle while I sighed.

"Your mother?"

"Um, yeah."

I'd switched my phone back on when we'd pulled up at the hotel. There had been three messages from her – two wedding dress pictures and another house listing. "She's probably wondering why I haven't responded to any of her texts."

The phone stopped, but Edward stepped back.

"You'd better answer," he said. "She's probably getting worried."

"I'll just text her. Let her know we're busy and I'll call later." But Edward was shaking his head.

"We'll wait," he said.

"I don't want to wait, and it's pretty obvious you don't, either." I gave a pointed glance at the bulge in his jeans.

"I'm fine," he said, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. "I'll take a shower while you talk."

"A cold shower?" I lifted my hand and stroked the collar of his coat. "You're not the only one who wants this right now." I stopped, and bit my lip. "It's been _ages_ , Edward."

He pushed my hair back, tucking it over my shoulder as he smiled.

"It's been a _week,_ Bella. And it was you who said no sex while we were in Jacksonville."

"Our room was right next to theirs. They would have heard."

He took a step closer, clasping my hand that held his collar. His other hand roamed over my side, inching upwards towards my breast as he lowered his face to kiss me.

The phone sounded again. Edward stilled once more, his lips hovering over mine, then slowly let me go. My hand fell to my side.

"Talk to her," he said gently. "We have all night." He began to back away, towards the bathroom with the over-sized tub and the double shower. Frustration burned through me.

"How can you be so patient?"

"A hundred years of practice."

He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it over the back of the sofa. Then he pulled his sweater over his head, revealing the perfect, sculpted body beneath as he continued on his way.

"Now you're teasing me," I said.

He dropped the sweater and his hand moved to the waistband of his jeans. As he popped the top button, he winked.

"Think of it as building anticipation," he said, and kicked shut the bathroom door.

.

When Edward emerged just five minutes later, with damp hair and a towel around his hips, I was still on the call with my mother. My tablet was on the coffee table displaying the website Renee had directed me to, and I pushed it across to Edward as he sat beside me on the leather sofa.

"They think they've found _the_ house," I mouthed. "They're planning to fly over there next week to take a look." Edward nodded as I turned back to the phone. "Yeah, Mom, I'm still here. No, I agree, the garden looks great, even better than the other one."

Edward flicked through the photo gallery of the neat, two bedroom house with a lime green kitchen, one and a half bathrooms and a small glimpse of the ocean from the living room window.

"This one's only two streets back from the beach," I whispered to him. "Yeah Mom, you could definitely turn part of the screened porch into a third bedroom, sure."

I shrugged at Edward who was frowning at the pictures, his brow tightly puckered.

"Can you put your mother on speaker?"

I did as he asked and Renee was delighted to have his input.

"So, Edward, what do you think?" she asked. "We're thinking of flying over there next week to take a look. Isn't the garden wonderful? Like a mini rainforest. And that view! We'll be able to hear the ocean as we fall asleep at night."

"The garden's very lush," Edward said. "There's a lot of shade."

There was a pause from my mother, then...

"Oh." So much wariness in that single syllable. "The shade. You're saying there could be a moisture problem. Like that other house we saw with the purple front door."

"Well, with that many trees so close to the house, and the lack of direct sunlight, it's a distinct possibility. I'm not saying there is a moisture problem, but it's certainly something to check. I'd suggest you get an independent building report before you book a flight."

"Ah," she said, and that syllable was filled with disappointment. "We don't want to buy someone else's problems, you're right, of course. We'd better get the report before we do anything else." But she didn't stay down for long. "There is another place," she said. "It needs a new kitchen too, but there's lots of sun. There's no view though, it's a bit further back from the beach, but still walking distance."

Edward got up and went to his suitcase. He pulled out his laptop, and a clean t-shirt and jeans, and got dressed before he came to sit down again. He set the laptop on the coffee table, flipped it open and turned it on.

"Renee, can we skype?"

"Oh, er, yes. Just give me a minute..."

A moment later her face appeared on Edward's screen.

"Hello!" She waved and I moved closer so she could see both of us. "Bella, honey, hi again! How's Chicago, by the way? I forgot to ask."

We talked a moment about lunch by the shore and the lovely hotel and then Edward got serious. He was using the voice I'd heard him use when he was on the phone with work and it was a little bit hot.

"Renee, I'd like to put an idea to you, and Phil."

He directed her to a different real estate website and set it up so they were both looking at the same screen together. Then he began to scroll, image after image flying past.

"Here," he said, stopping at the photo of a gorgeous, contemporary town house of timber and glass with absolute beach frontage and a generous rear garden. It was the one I'd seen her secretly looking at, over and over, while we were staying with her. Edward must have noticed her interest in it, too.

"What about this one?" he said.

My mouth fell open, surprised to see he was completely serious.

Renee just laughed. Obviously she and I were thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, sure, I'll take that one," she said, shaking her head until her laugh became a sigh. "I've looked at it before. It _is_ stunning but it also says _Price On Application_ , and we all know that's just code for 'you can't afford it'. I'm flattered you think it's in our ballpark, Edward, but I think we can pass that one by. It is beautiful, though. Look at that cathedral ceiling." Her voice became wistful as Edward clicked through the slide-show. Three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms. Gourmet kitchen. Open plan living with uninterrupted ocean views. Huge deck. Only two years old. "But it's just my fantasy house," she said. "Back to reality now. You can close the slide-show."

Edward didn't close the side-show. Instead, he sat back, arms folded across his chest, his speculative expression making me curious.

"Would you consider a lease agreement?" he asked.

"You mean renting?" Renee's brow furrowed. "No. I've rented a lot over the years, Phil has too, with all his travelling. These days we prefer the security of owning a place. That's why we bought in Jacksonville."

Edward nodded. "I can understand that, but what if it were a ninety-nine year lease with owner's rights?"

All this time I'd been wondering what he was getting at, and now I realised where this was going, my heart skipped a beat. I pressed my foot gently over his and he nudged my leg with his knee.

Renee, however, was lost. "I don't think I understand," she said, looking from him to me.

Edward leant forward now, closer to the screen.

"After looking at all those properties online with you last week, I've become interested in investing in Hawaii and I'm wondering if we could come to an arrangement." He stared down at the coffee table where he traced circles with his finger. "What if I were to purchase a property, like this one with the cathedral ceiling, and offer it to you as a long-term lease on the understanding that it would eventually go to our children, your grandchildren, once you and Phil have both passed. You'd effectively be safe-keeping it for them, and I would know it was always in good hands. And under the terms of the contract you would have an owner's rights to decorate, furnish, and alter the property and its gardens however you saw fit. Now, before you say no..."

He glanced up, his finger stilling mid-spiral on the table's surface as Renee opened, then closed, her mouth.

"An arrangement like this would allow you to keep the funds from the sale of your Jacksonville house. You could still buy a property in Hawaii, and rent it out. Or you could keep Jacksonville, and rent _it_ out. The income from that would supplement your regular salaries, setting you up for a comfortable retirement. And that way, if you ever wanted to end our arrangement, you'd still have your own place to sell. Or move into.

I squeezed Edward's thigh, my heart dancing in my chest as I blinked back excited tears.

But Renee sat silent. A deer in headlights.

"I don't understand," she said. "Have you seen the price tag on this house? _It's seven figures, Edward_."

"Renee, if I told you I was very wealthy, and this property was within my means..."

" _Is_ that what you're telling me?"

"Yes."

She was clearly sceptical. "You're seriously wealthy?"

"Ridiculously."

He smiled but Renee looked unconvinced. So he leant even closer and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Renee, I don't normally discuss money, and I don't wish to sound vulgar, but my account balance is longer than your phone number."

Her jaw dropped.

"Oh." She blinked. "With area code, or without?"

Edward laughed, a full rich laugh. "With area code," he said.

"Well...um..." Renee was frowning and didn't seem to know where to look. "I knew engineering was well-paid but..."

"It's mostly from property investments," Edward said. "And some inheritances."

I'd seen his property portfolio. It read like an international realtor's database.

"Bricks and mortar are usually a more sound investment than the stock market," Edward explained. "Although I do have shares, too."

Renee exhaled slowly, her expression all shock and disbelief.

"Oh my," she breathed. "Oh my, then why do you work? If you clearly don't need to?"

It was such a Renee question, I just barely managed to stop rolling my eyes. Edward shrugged and shifted a little in his seat.

"I like having something to do," he said simply.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry...about your finances or your work..."

"Not at all." he gave her a reassuring smile.

"I...excuse me a moment."

She disappeared from view and Edward quickly turned to me.

"I know we haven't had a chance to discuss it but..."

I cut him off with a kiss.

"So you're good with this then?" he asked, smiling as he pulled back.

"Oh my God, Edward I'm better than good, this is just...thank you." I sniffed back some more tears. "Thank you so much for this."

He looked almost offended by my gratitude, so I hugged him instead. Threw my arms around his neck and squeezed until he made a choking sound.

"Oops, sorry."

"S'okay," he coughed.

"I'm back." Renee was in view again, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue and sipping a glass of water. Edward and I resettled ourselves, holding hands on the sofa as we watched her take a deep breath.

"Edward, I can't thank you enough," she said. "It's...it's all...very generous. _Very, very, generous._ And, er, _surprising_. But we couldn't. We just couldn't. It's...too much. Way too much."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Edward stopped me with a hand on my knee.

"Not really," he said gently. "The way I see it, I'm going to buy the house anyway, it's going to be part of our children's inheritance and I can't think of anyone better to safeguard that inheritance, than their grandparents." He grinned. "You'd be doing us a favour."

Renee's eyes were glossy as her throat worked. After a moment she spoke again.

"We'd have to pay something," she whispered. "Some sort of rent...some contribution..."

Edward shook his head affectionately. "I thought you might say that," he murmured. "How about a family rate of, say, a hundred dollars a month? Twelve hundred a year."

"That's not enough."

"Family rate, remember? It's all I'll accept. So please consider it. Talk to Phil, see what he thinks, but it would mean so much to us."

Renee's questioning eyes fell on me and I nodded.

"It really would. Please, Mom?" Then I grinned. "It'll give us a great place to stay when we visit."

She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Well, in that case...we'll think about it. I promise."

There was a little more conversation, Renee asked how we were enjoying Chicago and then we said goodbye. Edward shut the laptop and set it aside.

I turned to him, still stunned by what had just happened. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." He brushed my hair back from my face, letting his finger graze against the skin of my neck.

"This is...you're amazing."

"Not really." His fingers trailed down my arm to my hand.

"Yes, you are! Don't brush it off, just listen so I can thank you! Okay?"

"Okay." He kissed the tip of each of my fingers as he held my gaze.

"Um," Now I was struggling to keep focused. "What...what you did was incredibly generous. And thoughtful."

"Uh huh." His tongue swirled lightly over the veins of my wrist. My eyes fluttered closed.

"And...kind. So kind."

"Thank you." He leant in and nuzzled my neck.

"Diplomatic too." His teeth gently bit down on my earlobe. "The...oh God...um..." My whole body shivered. "The...the way you presented all that to Renee was perfect."

"I'm happy to help." He lifted his head. "Bella?"

"Yes?"

He kissed me. A deep, possessive kiss that left me breathless and wanting.

"Are you done thanking me?"

"Yes."

"Good." He stood and lifted me into his arms so swiftly, I gasped. "Because it's been ages," he said as we headed for the bed. "And I've been patient long enough."

.

 **A/N: I know this chapter took a ridiculously stupid long time and I want to thank you for your patience. It's been a bit of a year at my end. There's been lots of real life stuff happening, combined with a hefty dose of writer's block. Thankfully, my friend Melanie Moreland came to the rescue. She suggested I write something else for a bit, so I went back to the novel I'd started some time ago, and worked on that for a while. And she was right. It helped clear the block and at last chapter 29 was completed.**

 **Some information about Edward's parents came from the Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide.**

 **Information about the Spanish influenza came from Google.**

 **The Drake Hotel is a real place, but Edward and Bella's room is my own description.**

 **Next chapter is already started and I hope it'll be up in a week or two : ) : )**


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